New Delhi, Nov 24 (NationPress) A young man from Punjab, thrust into the world of Hindi cinema following a national talent search, Dharmendra was filled with excitement when his initial producer requested him to wait for his signing fee, expecting a significant amount.

However, he was surprised to receive a mere token sum – and that too, from what was available in their pockets!

Looking back nearly two decades later, Dharmendra shared that he walked away with just Rs 51.

The Bollywood 'He-Man' noted that he had initially signed for 'Shola Aur Shabnam', followed by T.M. Bihari's 'Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere'. Unexpectedly, the latter, featuring Balraj Sahni and Kumkum and directed by Arjun Hingorani, was released first and thus marked his film debut.

Upon his arrival at the studio, Bihari and his associate, Thakkar, asked Dharmendra to wait outside a room while they deliberated on his signing.

"I waited eagerly, hoping for at least a 500 rupee advance. But can you believe it? I received only 51 rupees! Here’s how it unfolded: Mr. Bihari emptied his pockets and produced 17 rupees. Then, Mr. Thakkar did the same, and together, they handed me the total of 51 rupees," the star recounted in his article titled 'Mera Bachpan Aur Jawaani', published in the Urdu film magazine 'Ruby' in May 1977 (as translated in Yasir Abbasi's 'Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai: Urdu Memoirs of Cinema Legends').

Dharmendra expressed immense gratitude towards his first director, Hingorani, especially during his formative years. Interestingly, this was also the director's debut in Hindi films after starting with India's first Sindhi movie, 'Abana' (1958), which introduced Sadhana Shivadasani, known simply as Sadhana.

In the same piece, Dharmendra confessed that he owed his accommodation and meals to Hingorani, who was directing his first Hindi film after debuting with 'Abana' (1958), which also featured Sadhana as a child artist.

He shared that Hingorani took him to a restaurant and arranged for him to eat without any charge, as he had a credit arrangement there. He instructed the manager: 'Provide this boy with two slices of bread, butter – but no jam – and a cup of tea every day. If he consumes more than this, charge him for the excess.'

However, the relationship between Dharmendra and Hingorani extended beyond their initial collaboration.

Hingorani, known for his unique style of giving almost all his films three-word titles, each starting with 'K', had another commonality in them.

Films such as 'Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan?' (1970), 'Kahani Kismat Ki' (1973), 'Khel Khilari Ka' (1977), 'Katilon Ke Kaatil' (1981), 'Karishma Kudrat Ka' (1985), 'Kaun Kare Kurbanie' (1991), and down to 'Kaise Kahoon Ke... Pyaar Hai' (2003), featured Dharmendra in leading roles, with other actors like Rishi Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, and Govinda appearing as co-stars in the later ones.

Two of these films also showcased Dharmendra's elder son, Sunny Deol, as a co-star.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)