Sholay director Ramesh Sippy remembers Dharmendra’s playful nature: ‘A little vodka mixed into coconut water…’
Ramesh Sippy fondly remembers Sholay's Veeru aka Dharmendra and his childlike innocence
In his illustrious career as an actor which spanned over 65 long years, late superstar Dharmendra gave the country several unforgettable characters. But one of his most loved roles was that of Veeru in Sholay (1975). Also starring Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Amjad Khan and Sanjeev Kumar, the cult classic completed 50 years in 2025, the same year that Dharam Paaji breathed his last. Well, in a recent magazine launch event commemorating 50 years of Sholay, director Ramesh Sippy and Basanti aka Hema sat down together. They relived old memories and also remembered our beloved Veeru.
Talking to IANS, Ramesh Sippy remembered how one day, while shooting Sholay, Dharmendra decided to walk from the hotel to the set, which was almost 50 kms away. Dharam Paaji began walking at two or three in the morning, reached the shoot location at 7 am, took an hour to rest and was ready to shoot. Ramesh shared, “It was unbelievable, but he was completely determined.” He went on to state, “That was one side of Dharmendra. The other side was his playful nature. Sometimes there would be a little vodka mixed into coconut water, a small wink, and the message would pass through. It gave him a certain spirit.”
Fondly remembering Dharam Paaji, Ramesh stated, “There was a childlike innocence in him that came through very often, and within moments, he would turn into a strong, serious man. That quality was very winning. He could get angry, but he would be absolutely fine again within moments.”
{{/usCountry}}Fondly remembering Dharam Paaji, Ramesh stated, “There was a childlike innocence in him that came through very often, and within moments, he would turn into a strong, serious man. That quality was very winning. He could get angry, but he would be absolutely fine again within moments.”
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this month, audiences rushed to theatres to witness Dharmendra’s magic on the silver screen one last time when his final film Ikkis released. Starring Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda and Akshay Kumar’s niece Simar Bhatia in the lead, the film followed the story of 2nd Lt. Arun Khetarpal, PVC. Dharam Paaji was seen as Arun’s father Brigadier Madan Lal Khetarpal (retd).
