Hema Malini-Dharmendra’s real-life romance charged up their chemistry in Sholay: ‘Sometimes there were problems…’

Hema Malini spoke about how fond she and Dharmendra were of each other while they were shooting for Sholay.

Bengaluru | Updated: August 13, 2025 12:12 IST

The film Sholay, starring Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, will complete 50 years on August 15. (Photo: Express Archive)

The landmark Hindi film Sholay is all set to complete 50 years on August 15. The film, which was initially declared a flop, became one of the highest-grossing hits in Indian cinema history. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, Sholay is fondly remembered for many reasons; Amjad Khan’s performance as the villainous Gabbar Singh, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra’s on-screen camaraderie, and the on-screen chemistry of Basanti, played by Hema Malini, and Veeru, played by Dharmendra. In a recent interview, Hema revealed how her real-life romance with Dharmendra enhanced their chemistry in the film.

In Sholay, audiences witnessed how Hema Malini’s Basanti eventually falls in love with Dharmendra’s Veeru. In reel life too, the two stars were enamoured with each other. In an interview with NDTV, Hema Malini shed some light on her chemistry with Dharmendra. “He was very fond of me as I was of him. We had a lovely relationship because we had worked on so many movies together. We shared so much with each other – sometimes there were problems, sometimes it was happiness. Eventually, friendship led to love, maybe that’s what was reflected on the big screen too, in the film,” shared the actor. She added, “It’s natural, isn’t it? A lovely friendship ultimately leads to love and care for each other.”

In Sholay, audiences witnessed how Hema Malini’s Basanti eventually falls in love with Dharmendra’s Veeru. (Photo: Express Archive)

The couple had worked with each other in many films before getting married, and it was on the sets of Sholay where their friendship turned into love. The veteran superstar, Dharmendra, was already married with children when he fell in love with Hema Malini.

Earlier, in conversation with same publication, Hema Malini shared fond memories of filming the mandir scene with Dharmendra. “The Mandir scene was the first scene I shot. It was a lot of fun. So innocently, Basanti was accepting everything and answering back to Lord Shiva. Everything was very different. Shooting happened outdoors in hot summers; I don’t think we shot anything indoors. Even Ramanagara in Karnataka, where the climax scene happens, is as it was. They have not built anything there,” she said.

Sripted by Salim-Javed, Sholay revolves around two notorious criminals, Jai and Veeru, who are hired by a former jailer, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar), as he seeks vengeance to bring down the vile bandit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan).

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