MUMBAI: Director Anil Sharma recalled his first-ever meeting with Dharmendra, with whom he’d collaborate several times in his career. 

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He said that he was working as an assistant on the film The Burning Train at the time, and was on set at RK Studios when Dharmendra stopped by and brought everything to a standstill.

In an interview with Bollywood Thikana, Anil Sharma said that he was honoured to step inside the late Raj Kapoor’s office at the studio, where even his family members weren’t allowed. Only a handful of superstars, he recalled, were allowed to use the office, and this list included Dharmendra.

He said in Hindi, “I was honoured to visit that office, and I found out that it was never given out to anybody. If Dev Anand came, he’d get it; if Dilip Kumar came, he’d get it; and if Dharmendra came. That’s it. Except these three stars, nobody would be allowed inside his office. Even his own brothers, Shammi and Shashi Kapoor, wouldn’t get that office; this is what I was told.”

One day, he said, he was at RK Studios working on Ravi Chopra’s The Burning Train, when he was told that Dharmendra had come by. The entire set came to a standstill and everyone went to see him. 

He arrived in a van along with his wife, Hema Malini. Anil said that the concept of call sheets had just been introduced, and just as Dharmendra left after having an hour-long chat with the director, he was told to give him the call sheet for the next day.

“I raced after the van, and it stopped. Dharmendra asked me with a smile, ‘What happened’. I was awestruck, and I just handed the call sheet over to him, and told him what time he needs to report to set the next day. He said that he’d just discussed it with the director, and asked if I was new. He tore up the sheet and went about his way,” Anil recalled.

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The director would go on to collaborate not only with Dharmendra, but also his sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol. Most recently, he helmed the blockbuster Gadar 2, which has made over Rs 520 crore in India.

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Credits - The Indian Express