By Tanveer Zaidi
I consider myself profoundly blessed to have met the legendary Dharmendra multiple times—moments that remain etched in my heart like cinematic frames of warmth and inspiration.
Our very first meeting was on the sets of the film Farishte, directed by Anil Sharma and produced by Satti Shori, the grandmother of Arjun Kapoor.
Her office in Bandra’s Rizvi Complex was right behind my residence, and she treated me with motherly affection. I often accompanied her to the shoot.
One afternoon, I received a call on my landline—
“Beta, want a glass of lassi? Come quickly, then we’ll go to Filmcity. It’s an important day—Dharam ji, Vinod Khanna ji, and Sridevi will all be there.”
At 19, while pursuing acting, I was also the Editor of Neeraj Publications’ Filmscreen, a widely circulated cinema newspaper. Excited, I joined her, unaware that the day would become unforgettable.
After the shoot wrapped up, Boney Kapoor requested Satti ji to join him for a drive. She turned to me with concern:
“How will you go back?”
I replied confidently, “I’ll manage.”
But she found a better arrangement. She approached Dharmendra ji with a request, and with his trademark graciousness, he agreed to drop me home.
Sitting beside a megastar on a late-night drive back to Rizvi Complex felt surreal. I invited him inside; he smiled warmly and said,
“Bachche, some other day.”
That night, a superstar personally drove me home—a memory I treasure deeply.
We crossed paths again years later on the sets of Tada, where I carried an issue of my film magazine, Filmscreen, with Hema Malini as the guest editor. Dharmendra ji browsed through the copy, stopping at an article about the Deols and Hema Malini’s daughters.
He looked up and asked gently:
“Tanveer, has Hema seen this story?”
I replied, “Most likely, sir—we send her a copy regularly.”
He smiled, kept the magazine with him, and then asked about my acting dreams and personal journey.
His curiosity felt like encouragement from a mentor.
Every meeting affirmed the same truth:
Behind the superstar stood a remarkable human being—humble, affectionate, and effortlessly dignified.
He made a young actor-writer feel seen and valued.
I remain forever grateful for his kindness and for the memories that continue to inspire my path.
(By Tanveer Zaidi (Actor • Author • Educator)
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