Dharmendra was ‘reluctant’ to do movie as he was 'too big' at the time and 'Hema Malini was hero'!

On what would have been Dharmendra’s 90th birthday, fans are celebrating his legendary screen aura and the unforgettable films that defined an era. While the tributes continue to pour in, veteran writer Javed Akhtar marked the occasion by revisiting a lesser-known chapter from the superstar’s journey- his hesitation before agreeing to the classic ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’.

Also Read: Dharmendra’s first love wasn’t Prakash Kaur, Meena Kumari or Hema Malini- A childhood crush lost to Partition!

Why Dharmendra Initially Hesitated to Accept the Film?

In a nostalgic interaction with SCREEN, Akhtar shared that Dharmendra, who was already riding the waves of stardom, was careful about his film choices- especially those led by female protagonists.

Akhtar recalled, “I must tell you that Dharamji was a bit reluctant to work in Seeta and Geeta. It was an out-and-out heroine film. There was a double role for the heroine, and there were two heroes. Dharamji was too big during that time to do a film where Hema Malini was the hero. But he was kind enough to give us his time for Seeta Aur Geeta.”

According to Akhtar, Dharmendra’s humility ultimately outweighed his concerns, paving the way for one of his popular performances of the decade.

Brilliant Comic Timing with Touches of Melancholy

The writer further reflected on Dharmendra’s performance, which blended humour and vulnerability- a combination that audiences adored.

“He had a very funny role. But there were some serious and poignant moments also when he is drunk, and he talks about his loneliness and so on," Akhtar noted.

The actor’s effortless switch from witty banter to emotional depth added substance to a film already driven by drama and energy.

A Film That Redefined On-Screen Pairing

Released in 1972, ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’ featured Hema Malini in a dual role alongside Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar. The film took over the box office and emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year, earning a solid "blockbuster" status.

Must Read: Sanjeev Kumar and Hema Malini’s half-written love story: The real reason they broke up, it wasn’t Dharmendra

Dharmendra- Hema Malini: A Golden-Era Hit Duo

While the film was a milestone, it was far from their only collaboration. Beyond ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’ and ‘Sholay’, the pair headlined multiple commercial successes that turned them into one of Bollywood’s most iconic on-screen partnerships.

Films like ‘Sharafat’, ‘Tum Haseen Main Jawan’, ‘Naya Zamana’, ‘Raja Jani’, ‘Jugnu’, ‘Patthar Aur Payal’, ‘Pratigya’, and the cult classic ‘Sholay’ cemented their status as the ultimate “hit jodi” of Hindi cinema.