When Dharmendra didn't know how to handle stardom, Dilip Kumar became the beacon of light in his life: Saira Banu
Saira Banu recalls a few anecdotes about Dharmendra and Dilip Kumar's bond. She also shared about their first meeting in a new social media post.
Saira Banu has shared anecdotes from a few memorable meetings between Dharmendra and her late husband, the legendary actor Dilip Kumar. Dharmendra and Dilip Kumar had once featured together in Paari, which had a guest appearance by Dilip. They have not worked together in any other movie, apart from the 1966 film. (Also read: Zeenat Aman talks about gender role reversal, posts her, Dharmendra's old pics)
When Dilip gave his sweater to a shivering Dharmendra
In her latest Instagram post, Saira recalled Dharmendra's second meeting with Dilip Kumar and revealed that the Sholay star managed to get an appointment with Dilip Kumar with the help of his sister Farida.
She wrote, “Sahib spoke to him like an elder brother, full of love and adoration. Dharam Ji listened to him, spellbound as Sahib spoke in English, Punjabi, and Urdu in a soft, refined voice. It was a chilly night outside, and Dharam Ji was in a cotton shirt. Seeing him shiver, Sahib swiftly pulled out a sweater for him to wear on his way home.”
Dilip was beacon of light in Dharmendra's life
She also said that Dilip and Dharmendra developed such a bond after the incident that Dharmendra could always walk into Dilip's house after the incident. "Since then, Dharam Ji has always walked into Sahib's house without ceremony or appointments. Be it midnight or the day, Sahib always welcomed him. He became the beacon of light in Dharam Ji’s life when stardom and success came to him and he did not know how to handle them."
Dilip-Dharmendra's first meeting
Saira also shared how Dilip and Dharmendra first met in Mumbai. After watching Shaheed in 1952, Dharmendra travelled from Ludhiana to Mumbai and wanted to meet Dilip. "He definitely wanted to meet Dilip Sahib whose acting had set him on fire. Right after he arrived in Bombay, he boldly took the step of looking for Sahib's house at Bandra, Pali Mala. Fortunately, he found the house and no one stopped him at the gate, he entered, went up the stairs, and stopped by the entrance of a room; where he saw a fair, slim, and handsome man asleep on the sofa. He stood there admiring Sahib, his idol, right in front of him. Suddenly Sahib woke up and called for his staff, and Dharam Ji bolted downstairs," she wrote.
She further wrote, “I remember one night before the mahurat launch of Sunny’s film Betaab, Dharam Ji reached Sahib's house at midnight and went upstairs, spreading Sunny’s huge photographs on display for him to see, and then sheepishly disclosed that the heroine was Nasir Bhai’s and Begum Para’s relative Amrita Singh. He encouraged Dharam Ji and made him feel at home in the wee hours of that morning.”
When Dharmendra competed with Saira for Dilip's love
Saira also recalled how Dharmendra teased her on sets of Betaab. "Dharam Ji never got to work with Sahib except when he made a brief appearance in Paari. This is the only photograph I have in my house which I see every day besides the photographs of my parents and my sons.' Dharam Ji said, 'When I was working with Saira, I used to tell her jokingly, “I am in competition with Saira for the love of Yusuf Sahib! @aapkadharam."