Did Dharmendra sneak into idol Dilip Kumar's home before debut?
What's the story
Veteran actor Dharmendra, who passed away at 89 on Monday, had once sneaked into the house of his idol, Dilip Kumar. The incident happened in 1952 when Dharmendra was a college student in Ludhiana and had no plans of becoming an actor. It was recounted in detail by Dharmendra in the Reminiscences section of Kumar's autobiography, The Substance and the Shadow. Dharmendra was reportedly moved by Kumar's performance in Shaheed.
Uninvited guest
Dharmendra's bold entry into Kumar's home
Dharmendra wrote that once he was in Bombay, he "boldly went to" Kumar's home in Bandra's Pali Mala locality to meet the actor. "I wasn't stopped at the gate by anybody, and so I walked right into the house through the main door." "I climbed up the stairs and stood at the entrance to one of the rooms." Soon, he saw Kumar sleeping on the couch, who woke up to "a total stranger" staring at him.
Starstruck
Dharmendra's reaction to meeting his idol
Dharmendra recounted, "(Kumar) called out to a servant loudly. Now scared, I ran down the staircase and bolted out of the house, looking behind to see if I was being followed." "I realized how reckless I had been by intruding into the privacy of a star. So what if there was no watchman at the gate and no family member in the house to stop me?"
Reunion
Dharmendra's eventual meeting with Kumar
Six years later, Dharmendra returned to Bombay for the United Producers and Filmfare Talent Contest. With the help of Kumar's sister, Farida, he met Kumar at their bungalow, 48 Pali Hill. This time, the legendary actor welcomed him warmly. Dharmendra wrote, "(Kumar) talked to me like an elder brother...and narrated how he became an actor and how difficult it was for him in the beginning to understand the demands of the profession since he came from a non-filmi background."
Lasting bond
Dharmendra's enduring admiration for Kumar
Dharmendra often met Kumar after their first official meeting and was always touched by the latter's warmth. He said, "I may not meet him (Kumar) for months, but I think of him every day because his photograph is the only photograph I have kept in my house beside the photographs of my parents and of my sons." Meanwhile, Dharmendra's career spanned over 65 years and more than 300 films.