Family Time

Tell me Oh Khuda will be his first film with Esha,and Dharmendra admits he was “a little apprehensive at first”. The film,

directed by Mayur Puri,is a simple story about a father and daughter. Shot in Goa in 21 days,it also stars Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna. “Esha and I share screen space in the second half,after she discovers that I am her father,” says Dharmendra,adding that his daughter had tried every form of persuasion and blackmail to get him to do the film.

Incidentally,Dharmendra has opposed Esha working in films. “I belong to a traditional farmer family from Punjab and women are not supposed to work. Hema and I had planned to get Esha married after her first movie but she started doing well for herself after few films,” he adds.

During the shoot for Tell Me Oh Khuda,Dharmendra,a fitness fanatic,says he would share tips with Esha. But when he saw her doing a stunt scene once,his fatherly instincts kicked in. “The villain was hanging her upside down over the water. At first,I thought it was a body double. I was scared when I found out that it was Esha. It is not wise to give such shots when body doubles are available,” he says.

He informs that Malini,too,might make an appearance in the film. “Esha is working on her,” he says with a chuckle. The last time Dharmendra and Malini,the dream couple of yesteryear,were on screen together was in the 1987 film Jaan Hatheli Pe.

He is looking for a script where they will play the lead pair once again. “We are both looking for stories where we can be cast opposite each other.” For the time being,however,he hopes Malini will join Tell Me Oh Khuda.