Dharmendra, who is known as the He-Man of Bollywood got only Rs 51 signing amount, and he had no hit film for the last 13 years.
The world of cinema, its glamorous path to stardom, and fame is a dream of every aspiring artiste. However, the road to superstardom requires years of dedication, a hunger to prove oneself, and patience to keep going despite facing multiple failures.
Today, we will discuss an actor, an outsider, who came to Bombay with the hope of becoming an actor. His timeless charm, on-screen persona, and acting chops made him one of the biggest action stars of the 70s-80s, and he became an inspiration to generations, including Salman Khan. Dharmendra has earned the title of He-Man of Bollywood, and it took him years of persistence to sustain the stardom.
Dharmendra's idols who inspired him for films were...
The boy from Sahnewal, Punjab grew up watching films of Dilip Kumar and Motilal. Dharmendra wasn't inclined to study, and he wasn't a studious kid, despite his father being the headmaster of his school.
The first setback Dharmendra got after reaching Mumbai
Dharmendra's mom noticed his devotion to cinema. She suggested Dharmendra to participate in the Filmfare Talent Hunt. Dharmendra was the winner of Filmfare magazine's nationally organized new talent award and went to Mumbai from Punjab, to work in the movie promised, being the award winner, but sadly, the movie was never made.
Dharmendra got only Rs 51 for his first film
Yes, as it sounds shocking, this is a fact that Dharmendra signed his first film as an actor for a mere Rs 51. Dharmendra made his big screen debut with Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere. Dharmendra narrated the incident on Dance Deewane and said, “I was called in the producer’s cabin. There were three cabins, and I sat in the middle one. I was contemplating, how much would they pay me for the film. Each of them took out Rs 17 from their pockets, there were three of them, and they offered me Rs 51. I still consider that amount lucky for me!”
Here's the video
Dharmendra: A Star Was Born
Dharmendra's first film failed to make wonders at the box office. The next few films also didn't work at the box office. But the actor went on to impress critics and the masses with Ramesh Saigal's Shola Aur Shabnam (1961), Mohan Kumar's Anpadh (1962) and Bimal Roy's Bandini (1963) However, in 1966, OP Ralhan's Phool Aur Patthar became a runaway success and it established Dharmendra as the new charming, macho-man of Bollywood. After Phool Aur Patthar, Dharmendra was seen in several successful films including Aankhen, Shikar, Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Jeevan Mrityu, Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Sharafat, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Seeta Aur Geeta, Samadhi, Raja Jani, Jugnu, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Kahani Kismat Ki, Loafer, Dost, Sholay, Pratiggya, Charas, Dharam Veer, and many others.
Dharmendra got converted to Islam?
Before venturing into films, Dharmendra got married to Prakash Kaur at 19. While working in films, he fell in love with Hema Malini. Reportedly, Dharmendra wanted to marry Hema, but he didn't want to divorce Prakash. Dharmendra could not marry again as per the Hindu Marriage Act and didn't want to divorce his wife. So, to get married, the couple converted to Islam, and Dharmendra changed his name to Dilwar Khan; on the other hand, Hema identified hers as Aisha Bi R Chakravarty in 1979. Their conversation created big controversy, and they made headlines at the time. After several hurdles, the duo got married in 1980, and they became parents to Esha and Ahana Deol.
Dharmendra's first hit in the last 13 years
Last year, Dharmendra was seen in Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt-starrer was Dharmendra's first hit since 2011's Yamla Pagla Deewana. He will soon be seen in Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon's Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya.
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 "The actor who got only Rs 51 for debut film")
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