Dharmendra on what he shares in common with his “darling grandson” and why he is in no hurry to reunite with sons Sunny and Bobby
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 19, 2019)
Dharmendra’s social media account usually gives us a peek into his daily life with anecdotes from his farmhouse in Lonavala and sometimes pictures from his younger days. However, since the last few days, Darling D, as he likes to be called, has gone all out to promote his family’s third-generation actor, Karan Deol, who is gearing up for his Bollywood debut, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, directed by son Sunny.
What was his reaction when his “darling grandson” expressed a desire to follow in his footsteps? “I saw myself in him,” Dharam ji smiles, recalling when he’d first expressed the wish to become an actor. “Though Karan was more subdued, as his grandfather, I could feel his emotions, relate to the passion. Acting is a big dream, it grows with time. Being an actor allows you to live many lives, I’ve played so many characters over the years so I could empathise with him.”
The 83-year-old veteran highlights another quality the Deols have in common besides being men who think with their hearts. “Karan is shy and that’s a plus. Shyness vapas nahin aati, besharmi toh kabhi bhi aa jayegi,” he philosophises, admitting that he was shy initially and so also was Sunny. “It’s a blessing as it teaches you to respect others, be protective and never hurt anyone.”
Prod him on the film, and Dharam ji informs, that he saw it for the first time on Monday night and was impressed, once again taking to the social media to urge his fans to go, watch it. “It didn’t seem like a film, but reality as it is today. And for a director to achieve this, is commendable. Karan has done all the action himself, but more than that it’s the way he has depicted emotions. He made me cry in a few scenes.” Dharam ji then goes on to add that for a grandfather, his grandson is always more precious than even his son, and Karan’s success will make him feel younger than his 83 years.
He spends most of his time now, in the lap of mother nature. “Since I come from a farmer’s family, I really enjoy being there,” Dharam ji points out. “When I wake up early, specially during the monsoon, I can hear the cuckoo sing. It’s beautiful! Then, I go for a walk and do my yoga, visit my animals and the farm. We are growing avocado and mango which has started bearing fruit now. Seeing a fruit or a vegetable grow gives me more happiness than winning an award.”
What are the chances of him collaborating with Karan on a film? “Nothing is impossible in our industry,” he quips with a smile. Meanwhile, a sequel to the 2007 film Apne, also featuring sons Sunny and Bobby, is in the works, but he is quick to add that nothing has been finalised yet. “The second and the third parts of Yamla Pagla Deewana (YPD) didn’t work. We rushed through with them and didn’t even give ourselves time to listen to the story. After making people cry in Apne, we wanted to make them laugh with YPD, which it did. But then, we chased after the trend of sequels without even bothering to select the right scripts. So, for now, there is no immediate plan of the three of us reuniting,” he clarifies.
Dharam ji will be seen next in a special appearance in Khalli Balli which he did on the request of actress Madhoo. Any plans of writing an autobiography? “I haven’t thought about it because I’m an open book. I might narrate some sequences of my life in the form of poems, beginning with my days in the village,” he muses, slipping into a flashback.
I saw myself in Karan Deol even though he was more subdued-Dharmendra
