Garam Dharam turns on the heat!

Tell us about your role in Tell me O Kkhuda.

My character’s name in the film is Anthony, who is a part of the mafia from the underworld and is very powerful, yet soft hearted. Aggressive by nature, betrayed by fate and friends, completely let down in love in his youth, he is merciless in his fight against anything unjust. Anthony bumps into Tanya (Esha) and her friends. He had loved a woman deeply in the past who couldn’t be hers, so there’s an emotional rush when he hears about a girl who wants to find her parents, as she’s completely broken after knowing that her biological parents disowned her.

What convinced you to be a part of this film? Was it because your family was involved or was it because you liked the script?

Many people were considered for this role, but one fine day Esha asked if I’d do this and I said yes immediately. Anything for Esha! It was because of the script as well. The story is different and nice. It’s about a girl and is very touching. My role also is very important in the film.

You had reservations about Esha working in the industry. Are you now okay with Esha being a Bollywood star? How did the transformation happen?

Yes, I was reserved about Esha working in the industry earlier. I’ll tell you one thing – my father was also reserved about me working in the film industry in spite of me being a boy. He used to tell me that this industry is like a brick of a well. If it fits then everything is well, otherwise it’ll go inside that well and everything will be drowned with it. In a way it is true. That’s the life of Mumbai. Thousands of people want to be a part of the industry every day and rarely does someone actually become a part of it. My mother used to tell me that she prays that nobody’s child becomes an actor, as one lives and dies with every film of yours. Talking about my case, I was lucky and had won All India Talent contest and so I became a part of this wonderful industry.

It is very tough to be an actor as there is a load on your shoulders with every release, but I kept my hopes high because at every step one has double thoughts about the success and failure of the film. We all are human beings and this is basic human nature. So, I never wanted my children to feel the same stress that comes with every film, since there’s cut-throat competition here and everything is very unpredictable. I did not want Esha to feel the burden everyone here feels, as she even has to get married one day. Being a father, that was what I thought. I think no father in the world would want their children to have a stressful life. That is why I said no. But then, you know, when your children want something, you can’t say no, as parents are born to do everything that makes their children happy. So, she wanted to act and then I agreed.

All these years you’ve been an actor, and recently we’ve seen you judge a show on the small screen. How was your experience?

The makers of the show asked me 2-3 times, and I was sceptical about taking that job since I didn’t know what would I do there. Then I thought about giving it a try as Amitabh Bachchan and others are also doing it and the audiences like it. In the initial days of the shoot I wanted to run away as I didn’t know what to say after seeing the performances, and it feels bad on not selecting someone for the next round. It is very hectic and is more of a job than a creative work. But then gradually I started liking it, and then started loving it. On the day of the finale I was really emotionally upset because all the people on the set had become a part of the family, and it was hard to say goodbye to them. It was so good that I am missing all of it now. It showed my audiences the real Dharmendra – what his likes and dislikes are; what is his heart and mind like... The feedback I got from people was very good and I felt very happy to receive that.

You were the macho hero of your time, and were even awarded the title of World Iron Man – did you ever work out or go to the gym?

I am from a village, so I used to climb on banyan trees and jump from them. I was very daring. You find many pools in villages and Sutlej flows near Sahnewal, so I used to go from one shore to the other without breaking my breath, just parallel to the river. I used to play hockey, I was even a kabbadi player. I was fond of playing all forms of sport and exercised as well. But all this did not start suddenly one day. From my childhood days this was a part of my bringing up. I am just very grateful to my parents for raising me that way. Whatever I am today is first of all because of the blessings of God and then my parents.

How did it feel to be voted as the most handsome man in the world?

(Smiles) I feel very embarrassed whenever someone talks about this. There was some magazine abroad that had given me this title. I used to think that there’s nothing extraordinary in me to have gotten such a title, but then anyway! If I was chosen to get this, I thank God for it too.

Among your contemporaries, who did you consider a competition in the action category?

I never took anyone as my competition ever. I only used to think about myself. My competition has always been my role in every movie I did, and I used to compete with my own roles in every movie I did.

You were equally at home with comedy, which was the bigger challenge?

In my view, comedy is the most beautiful thing. I loved to do comedy.

On one hand people call you ‘Garam Dharam’, on the other they love you for your comedy, while some can’t help but be bowled over by your charm.

While people have formed these opinions about you from your films, how are you in real life? Garam, funny, or a charmer?

(Smiles) All of you can judge that not me. I can’t praise myself in any way. I still have to prove something. Even today I am a beginner and wear ‘L’ on my front and back. We learn many new things every day. Every moment is a challenge and you have to face it and even come out of it with flying colors. This life in itself is a very beautiful thing and one should always keep fighting and never give up. One should live with that spirit each day.