When Dharmendra helped Anil Sharma financially during 'Hukumat' shoot
What's the story
Filmmaker Anil Sharma, who has worked with the late Dharmendra in five films, recently opened up about the actor's contribution to his 1987 film Hukumat. Speaking on the podcast HZ Files, Sharma revealed that he narrated a five-minute idea of the story to Dharmendra without having a proper script. Despite this, the actor agreed to do the film and even paid ₹2.5L to ₹3L to get it on floors!
Actor's response
'He told me...I'm doing the film'
Sharma, who had previously made two smaller films, Shradhanjali (1981) and Bandhan Kuchchey Dhaagon Ka (1983), narrated his idea to Dharmendra. "He heard the idea for five minutes by the watch. Today, actors listen to a narration for three hours and still don't get the idea." "He told me, 'There are jumps in this one. It can turn out to be a good film. Put a lot of hard work in. I'm doing the film,'" Sharma recalled on the podcast.
Financial aid
Dharmendra's financial support during 'Hukumat' production
Sharma remembered how Dharmendra came to his rescue when the film's financier backed out after paying only ₹5L instead of the promised ₹30L. Once Dharmendra learned about the situation, he handed over a bag containing ₹2.5-3L in cash, Sharma shared. "This was Dharmendra. Who else would do that? You can imagine how much ₹2.5L to ₹3L of that time would cost today. He just saw that this guy is working hard."
Unwavering resolve
Sharma's determination to finish 'Hukumat'
Despite the financial setback, Sharma was determined to finish Hukumat. He told his unit about the situation and decided not to compromise on the film's quality or location. "I told them I'd make the same film I wanted to. There'd be no compromise on the location," he recalled. The film took two to three years to complete but ultimately became a success, leading to more collaborations between Sharma and Dharmendra.
Continued partnership
Sharma and Dharmendra's successful collaboration post-'Hukumat'
After the success of Hukumat, Sharma and Dharmendra worked together in three more action films: Elaan-E-Jung (1989), Farishtay (1991), and Tahalka (1992). They also teamed up 15 years later for the hit family drama Apne, which starred Dharmendra's sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.