DHARAM NE MUJHE DHARAM BANAA DIYAA

It was the day Dharmendra was too launch his elder son , Sunny in "Betaab" produced by him and directed by Rahul Rawail - Ali Peter John

Amrita Singh , the daughter of Rukhsana Sultan who was known for her association with Sanjay Gandhi and his nasbandi programme which was hated by the people , was also to be introduced in the film.

The compound of the Mehboob Studio was jampacked with three generations of people. Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor were to be the chief guests at the launch function which was to be at 3pm.

Dharmendra wanted to say something about the important event in his life . He wanted what he said to appear in Screen. He asked his PRO Ajit Ghosh to get him "that new journalist from Screen to write the article .

The other journalists in Screen were also eager to write the article , but Dharmendra insisted that he wanted that new journalist to write the article about him and the film he was launching with his son.

The interview was fixed for 12.30 in the afternoon at the Mehboob Studio . I hsd seen Dharmendra at shootings and events , but I had never met him face to face and was looking forward to have a talk with him.

He came a little late and took me away to one of the remote rooms of the Studio and before I could start talking to him , he said , "tu sab samajhtaa hai.

Aaj tu ek baap ke feelings ko pahechaan aur likh de ek baap ke feelings ke baare mein". I tried to make him understand that he would have to say something about the film and his son.

But he insisted that I write the way he would have felt. After having said this , he rushed to his car and left the Studio and came only in time to receive his VIP guests and his team .

It was a kind of challenge I had not faced before , but accepted the challenge. I told myself that if I could write about a father's feelings on the birth of his first daughter without being a father,I could certainly write about a father's feelings on the day of his son's taking his first steps as a star .

I put my life into what I wrote , I became Dharmendra, the father Sunny Deol and just kept writing and the feelings kept flowing.

The article had to go to the press the same day and had to appear on the following day which was a Friday. I sent my article after reading it twice to the press and forgot all about.

On Friday morning , I received a call from Dharmendra . He was highly emotional and kept thanking me and said , "bachhe , tune toh meraa dil hi baahaar nikaal kar rakh diyaa.

Aisaa toh mai khud bhi soch nahi sach saktaa thaa. Kaise sukriya bolu main tumko? Tune to meraa dil jeet liya".

That article marked the beginning of my friendship with Dharam ji which lasts even after 40 years.

JAB DO DILWAALE MILTE HAIN TOH UMAR KUCH BHI NAHI HOTAA. JAZBAAT HI SAB KUCH HOTAA HAI, BAAKI SAB BEMATLAB AUR NAKLI LAGTAA HAI