‘Dilip Kumar said please tell me if I am making a mistake while doing action scene,’ Tej Sapru recalls late actor’s willingness to learn

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar was one of the most celebrated stars of Indian cinema. Most actors who work in Hindi films have looked up to Dilip’s performance in films like Ganga Jamuna, Devdas, Mughal-e-Azam, and have shared stories about how watching one of his films inspired them. Recently, actor Tej Sapru, who played a villain in many films across the 1980s and 1990s, shared an incident when Dilip asked for his feedback.

In a chat with Lallantop Cinema, Tej shared that Dilip knew him because of his father, veteran actor DK Sapru. Dilip was also fond of Tej since he was a state level badminton player. When Tej became an actor, he was known for his action and would often perform his own stunts without any stunt doubles. Tej recalled that during the shoot of a film called Kanoon Apna Apna, he had to do an action scene with Dilip. Tej was initially hesitant since he was performing a physical action scene with a veteran star. “When I had to do an action scene with him, one tends to… you know, he was a senior. So you are careful that you actually don’t hit him,” he recalled.

Just before they were to start shooting, Dilip Kumar came up to him and told him, “Sapru, I hear you do a lot of action. So when I hit you with a blow, please tell me if I am making a mistake. We shared a great rapport.”

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He shared another anecdote from the set of a Bhojpuri film that he was doing with Saira Banu’s brother. Tej said that Dilip had come on the set to watch the shoot and while doing a dance sequence, he saw Tej being hesitant in holding the dancer. “He told me, ‘See, when the girl sits on your lap, you grab her in the end.’ He said it so nicely,” he recalled. “He had a certain style, and he would say things with such eloquence,” the actor shared.

Dilip Kumar passed away in 2021. He was 98 years old.