Satyakaam Or Sholay — Dharam Scaled New Heights As The He Man Of Bollywood
Even actors like Ashok Kumar, Balraj Sawhney and Big B were victims to their star image and status: Reports
HYDERABAD: Indian actors invariably suffer from the image that is created for their success. Even actors like Ashok Kumar, Balraj Sawhney and Big B were victims to their star image and status. Dharmendra, born Dharam Singh Deol, was a far more superior actor and his declaratory image of “kutte, mein tera khoon pee jaaunga” is far from the acting capacities of this actor whose career spanned from 1960 when he made his debut in sober film ‘Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere’.
Yes, today viewers will find it extremely difficult to sync the Dharam image with the Mukesh song in his debut film: ‘Mujh ko issraat ki tanhaai mein awaaz na do’.
Time to look at five great Dharam’s films.
Phool Aur Patthar: This 1966 film is arguably the first shirtless hero film where the muscular Dharmendra had the womenfolk asking for more. As with the dacoit who saves a widow, the Meena Kumari-Dharam tale lived as scandalously as the story. Meena found it difficult to resist the Dharam charm.
Satyakaam (1969): Hrishikesh Mukherjee always rated this film of his among his very favourites. Arguably, the image changed from the dacoit in the earlier film to the soft-spoken honest engineer who yet again saves a lady in distress (Sharmila Tagore). He was a top rack actor negotiating the problems of honesty and systemic challenges. He revisits the premise in BR Chopra's Aadmi aur Insaan. However, Satyakaam will always remain a must-see film both from the filmography of Dharam and Hrishi Da.
Sholay (1975): He keeps company with three amazing actors. Sanjeev, Amit, Amjaad Khan and yet leaves more than a lasting impact in this Ramesh Sippy classic. In a film where the star cast played musical chairs, it was Dharam's role that was surely his from start to after-finish. His magnanimity in getting Big B is also reflective of the actor's confidence in himself. No scene stealer would succeed in the presence of the genuine warmth and amazing screen presence of Dharam. Dharam is as noteworthy in the archives of our cinema as Sholay is.
Pratigya (1975): The film was produced by him and found him at his comic best. The actor who had acted in a very soft suave role in Dost for Director Dulal Guha, this time turned around to be loud, dramatic, over the top, and yet brilliant. This was an award-winning performance.
Chupke Chupke(1975): A list of the top all time comedies of Indian cinema would definitely include Hrishi Da’s tongue-in-cheek go at Hindi in ‘Chupke Chupke’. His on-screen chemistry with La Tagore matched the magnetic romantic appeal with Hema Malini. In ‘Pratigya’ and ‘Sholay’, there was an element of a loud comedy being played out — a premise he visits in ‘Chacha Bathija’. In ‘ChupkeChupke’, it is sheer timing and brilliance under the stewardship of Hrishi Da. This was arguably his best on screen appearance. For the actor who left an impact as late as in Karan’s ‘Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahani’, the persona would be difficult to replace. At a time when stardom is calculated in months, Dharmendra was an actor of consequence from the time he made his debut in 1960 till he left an impact in ‘Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahani’.
To the cineaste, it would always be an area of regret that Gulzar‘s ‘Devadas’ slated to star him alongside Hema as Paru and Sharmila as Chandramukhi and Sai Paranjape’s ‘Bichoo’ with Paranjape was never made.
The gamut moved from the soft spoken, quiet (Anupam) to the loud, from the on your face to the subtle, from the hot to the calm, from the macho to the subtle, he had it all. He was arguably mainstream Bollywood’s most underrated star actor.