Sholay director Ramesh Sippy remembers Dharmendra: He held audiences mesmerised

India Today

'Sholay' director Ramesh Sippy paid a heartfelt tribute to Dharmendra, recalling his warmth, talent and unforgettable on-screen presence. He remembered the actor’s iconic tank scene from 'Sholay' and said accepting his loss has been deeply difficult.

Transcript

00:00Joining me now is the director of that all-time blockbuster, Ramesh Sipi.

00:04Appreciate you joining us, Mr. Sipi.

00:06Your memories, sir, first, of Dharmendra, particularly from Shole.

00:17First of all, I need to say that on a day like this,

00:21first let me express that I am, oh, well,

00:26this was expected, it was going to happen.

00:36In the last couple of months, he's been unwell.

00:41But yet, when it finally comes, it's not easy to accept.

00:46But he's such a fine and wonderful man that the thought that he is no more

01:03is itself, it itself makes you feel very gloomy.

01:15But let's remember him as the person who held sway

01:20and held entire audiences mesmerized with his performance.

01:34Certainly in Shole, he gave one such performance.

01:39His highlight of his lighter moment was

01:49when he was on top of that tank

01:54and he carried that moment.

02:01It was at least half of it was him in real reality.

02:09He just let go of himself.

02:14He had a tipple or two as well.

02:19But he did it so beautifully, so wonderfully.

02:22It all came naturally to him.

02:25He had a tipple or two when he played,

02:28when he was there on top of that tank.

02:30We'll put those shots of that famous scene with Mausi-ji.

02:33But I'm told, or he told me once,

02:35that the original dialogue had the word Mausi

02:37and he changed it to Mausi-ji.

02:40Is that true?

02:47Yes.

02:48That's true.

02:50That's true.

02:50So, that's where the individual comes in.

02:56A scene is written by writers.

02:59And Kareem Javid and I,

03:03when we worked on this scene

03:06and came out with this,

03:08it was a beautifully written scene.

03:13Javid Saad actually wrote the essence of it

03:15on a piece of paper

03:17placed on an ambassador car

03:20leaving for the airport.

03:22He was leaving back from Mumbai

03:24and just took out a paper

03:30and behind, as I said,

03:34the back of the ambassador,

03:35he placed the paper and wrote the scene.

03:38Gave it to my assistant

03:39who translated it properly

03:42and gave it to me.

03:48And everything that was required

03:53was in it.

03:55But of course,

03:56Dharam Jeevati took it.

03:58He put his heart and soul into it

04:00and brought out what you see on screen.

04:03Is it also true, Mr. Sipi,

04:06that Dharmendra was the one

04:07who recommended Amitabh Bachchan

04:09for the role of Jai in the film?

04:16He also recommended it, yes.

04:20He felt that

04:24that the role of Jai

04:27could be played by

04:31Amitabh Bachchan.

04:33We had already

04:34decided

04:37that it would be Amitabh Bachchan

04:41Amitabh Bachchan

04:41and

04:43very happy to oblige.

04:48So I think

04:49he wanted him,

04:51we wanted him

04:52and he was there.

04:55But, you know,

04:56the thing is,

04:56you just didn't do

04:57Shole with him.

04:58You also did another

04:59blockbuster,

04:59Sita or Gita,

05:00earlier.

05:00So obviously,

05:01Dharmendra was a favorite

05:03for you.

05:04What was it about Dharmendra

05:05that made you keep

05:06getting him to star

05:07in many of your hit films?

05:08Was there

05:09something special

05:10about Dharmendra?

05:15I think he was a very

05:16natural,

05:17warm person

05:18who

05:19there were no

05:21airs about him

05:23at all.

05:27He spoke

05:28from the heart.

05:30I think

05:31that comes to you

05:34so easily

05:34and so naturally

05:36that you react

05:39also accordingly.

05:40so that interaction

05:44that took place

05:45when working

05:47with him

05:47was

05:49so nice

05:51that I felt

05:52that

05:52all three of them

05:56that I had

05:57in Shita or Gita

05:58must definitely

05:59be there

06:00in my next

06:00and then

06:02of course

06:03Amit Ji

06:05and Jai Ji

06:06were joined

06:07in

06:07and finally

06:09Amjad

06:11as Gabbar.

06:13I think

06:14together

06:15probably never

06:19a cast like that

06:19had been assembled

06:20before or after.

06:22You know

06:23was it also

06:23the fact

06:24that

06:24Dharam Ji

06:25was very easy

06:26to work

06:26with co-stars

06:27therefore

06:27you could

06:27have a

06:28multi-starrer

06:28around him

06:29that he

06:29didn't have

06:30the starry

06:30airs

06:31and therefore

06:31didn't mind

06:32sharing screen

06:33space with

06:34another big

06:35star like

06:35Bachchan.

06:38True,

06:39very true.

06:40He was confident

06:40of his own

06:41work

06:41and therefore

06:43others

06:44next to him

06:47or working

06:48with him

06:48did not

06:49disturb him.

06:50he was

06:53confident

06:53about himself

06:54and

06:57but

06:59Amit Ji

06:59and he

07:00blended

07:00together

07:01so beautifully

07:02straight from

07:04the

07:04train

07:05sequence

07:06and

07:08onwards

07:10I

07:13think

07:15an

07:18assembly

07:18of

07:19a

07:19cast like

07:20that

07:20will probably

07:23never take

07:23place

07:24again.

07:26Can I

07:26can I

07:27can I

07:28ask you

07:29in conclusion

07:29do you have

07:30a favourite

07:30Dharamendra

07:31role or

07:31moment or

07:32scene

07:32something that

07:33you think

07:34typifies the

07:34man

07:35the actor?

07:39Well

07:40all his

07:42other songs

07:44were fine

07:46and he

07:47was

07:47wonderful

07:48in them

07:48but

07:48of course

07:50his scene

07:51on the

07:51tank

07:52stands out

07:54that's

07:57a part

07:58of him

07:58not all

08:02him

08:02he's not

08:02always like

08:03that of

08:03course

08:04but

08:05there was

08:08a part

08:08of him

08:09out there

08:11which

08:13came out

08:15very

08:15naturally

08:15Kaleem

08:17Javid

08:19Sath

08:19captured

08:19his

08:22the essence

08:24of his

08:25character

08:25and

08:27you see

08:31a good

08:32writer

08:32will also

08:33see that

08:33what he

08:36gives to

08:37the actor

08:37is something

08:39that he

08:41can take

08:42in and

08:43bring out

08:43an extra

08:45ounce

08:46from himself

08:47in that

08:48way

08:48so the

08:50blending

08:51together

08:52director

08:53writer

08:54actor

08:54this was

08:55a kind

08:56of a

08:56complete

08:56moment

08:57Ramesh

09:00Sipi

09:01you know

09:01for recalling

09:02some of

09:02those memories

09:03of Shole

09:03and Dharmendra

09:04I appreciate

09:05you joining

09:06me on

09:06the show

09:06today

09:07the show

09:08is

09:09the show

09:09is

09:10the show

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