Dharmendra lost interest in a film because he thought director was favouring Shabana Azmi: ‘He lost enthusiasm’

“One attempt at making a very commercial film, and let me talk about it because this film never got completed unfortunately. It was to be made with Dharmendra and he is such a lovely person, a delightful fellow and he came to me, he said ‘I’d love to make a film with you’. I had some concept and I told him about it,” she recalled. Sai said that the story was about two con artists and was titled Bichhoo. She cast Shabana Azmi opposite Dharmendra here. “When I wrote the script, I had Dharmendra in my mind,” she said.

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The ride started smoothly but got bumpy on the way. “Dharmendra loved it and we started. And then somewhere along the way, I think he realised that I am not a commercial filmmaker,” she said and recalled an incident after which things took a turn. “I distinctly remember a scene where Shabana and him are face to face and he tells her something and she charges him and he has his back to the camera,” she shared.

Dharmendra was asked to move unconfortably and make certain gestures with his hand, so as to convey that he is lying. When Sai announced that the scene was over, Dharmendra asked for his close-ups. “He said ‘but you haven’t done my close-up. I said ‘it’s not needed. We don’t require a close up because your back has said it all’. I think made him suspicious. He thought I was favouring the heroine. I don’t know what he thought. That day onwards, he would point things out like how certain things should be done. And then gradually, the whole tempo sort of slacked. I came to the realisation that he is not all that enthusiastic about it. The film came to a halt,” she shared.

Sai said that everyone was quite disappointed that the film was not happening anymore as Sai and Dharmendra’s combination was something to look forward to. She praised him anyway and said, “He was a gentleman throughout. He did not even say half a word against me in the press and I obviously reciprocated.”

Dharmendra recently worked with Shabana Azmi in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.