Editor’s Note
This article highlights the enduring lesson that dedication and perseverance, as exemplified by veteran actor Dharmendra’s career, remain the true cornerstones of success.
Dharmendra carved out his place in the film industry through hard work and discipline. He faced initial difficulties and finally debuted in 1960. His life is an example that dreams are fulfilled only through hard work.
The Indian film industry today lost a genuine and unique artist, Dharmendra. He was a hero who defined the meaning of real heroism long before muscles, machines, and box office numbers. At such times, people start watching his old interviews to remember the person behind the screen.
His conversation with Rajat Sharma on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ is one of those moments that shows his heart in the clearest way. In this very interview, Dharmendra had revealed that people were initially not ready to give him work.
When Rajat Sharma asked him about growing up in a strict household, Dharmendra smiled and began to recount a memory that gives a glimpse of his childhood.
Behind the laughter, the strength that emerged from his difficult life is clearly visible.
The first time he watched a film in a theater, everything changed. Skipping school felt like freedom in his eyes, but what he felt afterwards was even bigger than that. He said:
This very desire brought him from a middle-class home in Punjab to Mumbai without any plan, just carrying a dream. Rajat Sharma reminded him that many producers had initially rejected him. Some even said he should wrestle instead of doing films. Dharmendra recalled those days without any complaint.
These words could have broken anyone. But he said the very thing that defined his journey:
Finally, in 1960, destiny opened doors for him. Dharmendra debuted with ‘Dil Bhi Tera, Hum Bhi Tere’, directed by Arjun Hingorani, the same person who later became very important in his career.
This was not a grand launch, nor did he achieve stardom overnight. But this very film gave birth to a star whom India soon began to love wholeheartedly. After a small beginning, he built his stature through hard work, discipline, and truthfulness.
The person who was once told he “looks too strong,” later became the most beloved romantic and action hero of his era. Dharmendra is a living example that dreams are not given, they are earned.