...And Dharmendra kept getting ready for the Filmfare Award year after year!

A few years ago, I went to Chandivali Film Studio in Mumbai to interview Dharmendra. That day I realized what a passionate artist he is. As soon as we met, he asked me - "How is Mayapuri? How is Bajaj Saheb?" He means the owner-editor of 'Mayapuri' P.K. Bajaj. Then he said that 'Mayapuri' which comes to his place every week is not reaching him. And, he also said that Mayapuri magazine has always written well for him. No star today has this kind of emotional relationship with any newspaper or magazine. The conversation started with the Filmfare Awards, which was to be held that evening. so, I asked him,  "Are you going for it?"

"No, I don't go now. Filmfare has now given me the Lifetime Achievement Award. There was a time when I used to go, I used to go every year, but Filmfare never gave me the award. And when they gave it, it was a direct Lifetime achievement award.

Dharmendra's Journey: From Struggles to Stardom

Dharmendra started his career with the new talent contest organized at the national level by the film magazine Filmfare, which he won, but after that, he did not get any film immediately. Arjun Hingorani gave him the film 'Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere' with a remuneration of Rs 51 and the caravan of films started. Dharmendra started working with all the heroines as a romantic hero and then as an action hero. At that time, Filmfare was the biggest award. Dharmendra believed that he would get an award for his films, but it did not happen. In 1966, he got a nomination for the film 'Phool Aur Patthar', the heroine of the film was Meena Kumari. He did not get the award. "I went well prepared." He had told. Then for the second time in 1971, he was nominated for the Filmfare Award. The film was 'Mera Gaon Mera Desh'...this time too he did not get the Best Actor Award. He became disappointed. Actually, at that time there was a trend to honor parallel (art) cinema.

Dharmendra's Emotional Tribute by Dilip Kumar

Dharmendra was a big fan of Dilip Kumar before coming into films and he used to see Dilip Kumar's posters, and wish that someday his posters will also look like that. As time progressed, he became a star. Dilip Kumar's birthday fell three days after Dharmendra's birthday. Dharmendra used to go every year to wish his idol on his birthday (11 December). The year 1997 came, this time the Filmfare Committee decided to give Lifetime Achievement Award to Dharmendra. Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu were the chief guests in the auditorium to give the award. This was a very emotional moment for Dharmendra. He could not stop himself from expressing his feelings on the stage, saying, "I have given one hundred films but I was not given the honor of Best Actor..." Then what Dilip Kumar said for Dharmendra was much bigger than any award. Dilip Kumar said that whenever he will meet god, he will complain only that why did he not make him as handsome as Dharmendra? Really, at that time it was a great honor for Dharmendra to hear this from his idol. He became emotional while telling this, forgetting his complaints about preparing for the Filmfare year after year.

- Sharad Rai

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