Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore paid an emotional tribute to her late co-star Dharmendra, remembering him as a grounded, affectionate, and remarkably unchanged man despite decades of superstardom. Dharmendra passed away on Monday at the age of 89 after a prolonged illness.
“He never changed — not even with stardom,” says Sharmila Tagore
Speaking to PTI, Sharmila said she only has warm memories of Dharmendra—the man behind the iconic star. To her, he was consistently affable, cooperative, and humble.
“I did not find any change in him till the end,” she said.
“As an actor, he was wonderful to work with, and in his attitude towards people—crowds or crew—he remained the same warm human being. He met everyone, rich or poor, with equal affection. I’ve seen him hug a man on the street without a second thought.”
She described him as a “man of the earth,” someone deeply rooted in his origins and unapologetically proud of them.
“He never forgot his roots. Stardom didn’t change him at all.”
Sharmila says Dharmendra’s Chupke Chupke performance deserved a National Award
Sharmila and Dharmendra starred together in several acclaimed films, including Anupama, Satyakam, and Chupke Chupke—films that remain beloved classics in Hindi cinema.
She particularly praised his comedic performance in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Chupke Chupke, calling it award-worthy.
“For Chupke Chupke, he should have got the National Award. He was brilliant. But back then, people believed only serious roles deserved awards.”
Hrishikesh Mukherjee teased the ‘muscle man’ acting in simple roles
Dharmendra collaborated with Hrishikesh Mukherjee on several films such as Majhli Didi, Guddi, and Chaitali. Sharmila recalled how the director often teased Dharmendra for shedding his action-hero persona in these relatable roles.
“Hrishida would say, ‘Forget that you are Dharmendra, the muscle man. Here, you’re playing a very simple character.’ We were all very relaxed on Hrishida’s sets, and Dharam loved that atmosphere where he wasn’t treated specially.”
When Dharmendra worked overnight to help Sharmila
Sharmila also shared a cherished memory from the sets of Mere Hamdam Mere Dost, where Dharmendra went out of his way—literally working through the night—to help her complete a song shoot.
She was shooting double shifts at the time and had planned to fly to Kolkata the next evening to join her husband Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who was playing a Test match.
“We were filming the song Chhalka Yeh Jaam. We couldn’t finish it till 10 pm, and the director asked if I could return the next morning,” she said.
“But I had another shoot till 2 pm, and then a flight to catch. So I requested Dharam if he could extend the shoot.”
Dharmendra immediately agreed, allowing them to continue shooting till 6 am.
“Whenever they were setting up the lights, he would go and rest in the makeup room. He didn’t complain even once. I can’t imagine anyone else doing that. He was incredibly sweet. I’ll forever remember that gesture.”
A partnership filled with timeless films
Beyond the classics like Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, and Anupama, the pair also starred together in films such as Yakeen, Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka, Devar, and Sunny.
Sharmila ended her tribute by remembering Dharmendra not just as a superstar, but as a genuine, generous human being whose kindness resonated with everyone who knew him.