Dharmendra took a smaller role in Hema Malini-led Seeta Aur Geeeta, says Ramesh Sippy: ‘Didn’t know he, Sanjeev Kumar fancied her’

Dharmendra was well aware that he was going to have a much smaller part, as compared to the female lead, in Seeta Aur Geeta. He chose to take it up anyway.

Dharmendra and Hema Malini in Seeta Aur Geeta. (Photo: Express Archives)

Films led by female stars is a rarity in the Hindi film industry even in 2025, so back in the 1970s, it was almost unheard of that a mainstream female actor would lead a big budget film, and two leading male stars of the stars of the time would play significantly smaller roles. So when Ramesh Sippy decided to make Seeta Aur Geeta with Hema Malini, he had a challenge on his hands for casting the male actors. The film eventually starred Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar, and in a recent interview, director Ramesh Sippy shared that it was courageous of Dharmendra to take on a smaller part in a film led by a woman.

In a chat with Radio Nasha Official, he was asked if Rajesh Khanna was ever approached for one of the roles in the film and he said, “We never approached Rajesh Khanna. He had become a huge star so it didn’t feel okay to offer him a role in Seeta Aur Geeta.” Seeta Aur Geeta was the story of identical twins who have completely opposite personalities. Ramesh said that he approached Sanjeev as the actor was known for playing diverse roles, and in the case of Dharmendra, he said that the actor took some time to think about saying yes.

He shared, “I had not worked with Dharmendra earlier but I went to meet him and I told him very frankly about his role. He took a little time to think about it, and then said okay. I was happy that he had the courage to work in a film which was basically a female oriented film.” He added that Sanjeev was known to be “versatile” and often picked roles that gave him the opportunity to do more and he too, was happy with his role. “What I didn’t know was that they both fancied Hema Malini,” he said.

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Hema Malini had a short-lived relationship with Sanjeev Kumar. Sanjeev wanted to marry her, but his mother had placed a condition that she would only approve of their union if Hema left the film industry as she did not want a ‘filmy bahu’. Hema did not want to do that as she wanted to continue working for as long as she wanted.

Dharmendra also fell in love with Hema during this period. He was married to Prakash Kaur, and father of four children. He eventually married Hema in 1980, and they welcomed two daughters together. Hema had recalled her first meeting with Dharmendra years later on Koffee With Karan, “I think the first time I saw him only… I never thought he was going to be my man. I thought somebody like him, should be though. I won’t say (love at first sight). I just liked him because he was a very handsome man, very good-looking. I have never seen anybody so good-looking. So maybe that’s why I thought… he is so wonderful-looking. I thought I should get somebody like him but then he, himself came into my life.”

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