Dharmendra (1935-2025) | ‘When he punched someone, you could feel it land’: Sudhir Mishra

When we were growing up, Dharmendra represented the idea of a hero. His persona was that of a gentle but strong person with a beautiful smile that lit up the screen. He acted in a wide range of films — some of which are underrated. He had a flair for comedy and a screen presence that one can’t compete with. The history of Indian cinema can’t be written without someone like him. My favourite movies are Anupama (1966), Satyakam (1969), Chupke Chupke (1975) and Sholay (1975).

Dharam ji’s work with Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Chupke Chupke) is amazing. This director-actor partnership worked because Dharmendra was transparent as an actor. He does not obstruct filmmaking by stating his presence.

As an action hero when he faced a crowd, you believed him. He is a strongman who refused to put up with wrongdoing. When he punched someone, you could feel it land. But he seemed to hit people with a certain amount of regret. There was nothing vicious about it. There was something amiable about him. Now, without him, Hindi cinema is bereft of one of its greats.

Read | The ‘macho’ hero who broke boundaries, gave India both Sholay and Satyakam

He has had a long productive career. Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis is scheduled to release in December. He was working till his last day. That’s how it should be for a great artiste.

Sudhir Mishra is a filmmaker as told to Alaka Sahani