Caravan of Memories… Photographers Express Anger for Not Being Allowed to Capture He-Man’s Final Moments

By Sharad Rai

Very few people know that Dharmendra had a deep understanding of photography, and every photographer used to be his friend. On the day the news of the legend’s death arrived, Vinod Deshpande, a member of the Cine Still & Film Photographers Association who had gone to Goa to cover the International Film Festival, called me from there. He said that they held a condolence meeting for Dharmendra at the festival. (Bollywood last shoot photographers protest)

Vinod Deshpande has done still photography for dozens of films with the Deol family (Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, and Rajveer). Let me tell you, still photographers are always present on the sets with the stars and know all their ups and downs. Here are some of his memories.

Vinod Deshpande

“Arre, what is this! At Dharmendra’s farewell—at the final goodbye of the ‘He-Man’—no one was even allowed to flash their cameras! What kind of matter is this?”

This is the same question many photographers have, who wanted to capture Dharmendra in his final moments, and who had been circling outside the bungalow ever since he returned home from the hospital.

Vinod Deshpande has spent a long time working with Dharmendra as a still photographer. He narrates interesting incidents from the sets of films like Hukumat, Elaan-E-Jung, Farishtay, Apne, Aag Ka Toofan, Julm Ki Hukumat, Policewala Gunda, etc., where Dharmendra often guided him on photographic angles.

“He had an extraordinary photo sense. During shoots, he would even tell the cinematographer which side would make his shots look better. How to avoid showing the sagging skin with age—this was a remarkable quality in a star at 89.” (He-Man movie final shoot controversy)

Arun Pandey

Arun Pandey, who moved from press photography to still photography and is now busy with fashion and model shoots, sounded deeply distressed by Dharmendra’s passing.

Arun says that it was Dharam ji who made him a still photographer. “I had just come to Mumbai from Tatanagar (Jharkhand) to try my hand at press photography. A film PRO called me to Chandivali Studio (Andheri East), where Dharmendra was shooting. When I met Dharam ji, he warmly asked about me, placed his hand on my shoulder, and spoke kindly, giving me time.
He said, ‘How will you survive in this city without a stable income?’ Then he asked me, ‘Will you do still photography?’

We were on the set of the film Patthar Aur Payal. He took me to the director and said, ‘This boy has talent, take his photos and see.’ And that’s how I began working as a still photographer on that set.”

“Whenever I met him after that, he would ask about me with affection. He even gave me opportunities to shoot his personal photos. He never had any starry tantrums. Our last meeting was on an ad shoot of series director Bhanu. He said, ‘You’re doing well, keep at it.’ He encouraged me.”

Arun Pandey says, “Dharam ji lived an era. I too wanted to capture his last shots. I couldn’t, but it doesn’t matter—his imprint is on every shot I’ve ever taken. He was as great a human being as he was a star. Even in later years, whenever I met him, I felt like my evergreen model was standing right in front of me.”

Arvind Sinha

Senior photographer Arvind Sinha had a long-standing association with the Dharmendra family, the B.R. Chopra banner, and the Anil Sharma camp. Apart from doing still photography for films like Kal Ki Awaaz and Singh Saab the Great, he has conducted many commercial shoots with these stars at his Looks Studio.

Arvind Sinha says, “The passing of Dharam ji… it felt like a big shock, yaar. It seems like good people are leaving the film industry.” “Dharmendra was a friend of friends. Sunny and Bobby have the same quality. I’ve worked with all of them.” “Of course, I too was eager to have one last glimpse of him. But by the time I received the news, everything was already over. They must have had their own reasons. Whether you call him Garam Dharam or He-Man—he has returned to the soil. He was the pride of the film industry. A star who never had a dispute with any photographer or journalist.” “Pray that another star like Dharmendra is born in Bollywood. (Celebrity film final shots controversy)

FAQ

Q1. When were the last shots of He-Man shot?

A: The last shots of He-Man were shot recently

Q2. Why did the photographers express their displeasure?

A: He was not allowed to open the camera during the shooting, which made him angry.

Q3. What impact did this incident have on the shooting?

A: The shooting atmosphere became a little tense and emotional.

Q4. What made the last shooting of He-Man in the news?

A: This shooting was a topic of discussion among the media and fans due to the anger of the photographers and the incident of not being able to open the camera.

Q5. What impact did the photographers' anger have on the media?

A: The incident generated considerable attention on social media and in media reporting.

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