How Is Bajaj Sahab? How Is Mayapuri?” — Dharmendra’s Special Connection with the Deol Family and Mayapuri

Sharad Rai

In my four decades of film journalism, I rarely found any star as easy to talk to as Dharmendra. There were only a few sensitive periods when he avoided speaking to the press—such as when he married Hema Malini, or during the time when he was signing films with almost every producer in the so-called “per-day” phase, which had even upset his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. During those times, he was seen maintaining a little distance from the media.

By coincidence, I happened to meet Dharam ji during both of those phases. Mayapuri journalist Chhaya Mehta shared a good rapport with Hema ji. After her marriage, Hema ji was shooting at Natraj Studios. It was an informal meeting when Chhaya pulled up a chair near Hema ji and we also sat there. We had hardly begun talking when Dharmendra arrived. Dharam ji asked,
“How is Mayapuri doing? It’s a family magazine… just don’t write any gossip.”
And soon after, we quietly left the place.

Another similar meeting happened at Chandivali Studio, where Dharmendra was shooting for a film produced by Kanti Shah. He had only two or three days of work in the film (during his per-day phase), but the producer’s PRO Z.A. Johar had invited the press to the set. At that time, only print media existed—there were no TV channels or YouTubers crowding the place. Dharmendra did not speak to anyone and left, saying he had to reach somewhere urgently. As he was leaving, his eyes fell on me. He said, “How is your Mayapuri? How is Bajaj Sahab? Does he come to Bombay these days?”

Also Read:Salman Khan Once Said: “I Respect Bajaj Sahab and Mayapuri” — Even When He Stayed Away from the Press

By Bajaj Sahab he meant the owner and strong editor of Mayapuri, the late P. K. Bajaj. The warmth with which he asked about the magazine showed a kind of affection we rarely saw in other stars. One reason was that Pramod Bajaj shared a personal bond with the Deol family. Whenever I met Dharmendra, he would always ask something about Mayapuri. Whenever any journalist carried a film magazine in front of him, he would certainly flip through its pages.

Dharmendra himself loved writing in Urdu and had a deep interest in poetry and shayari. He often said that it was through such film magazines that artists reached their fans and admirers.

My last meeting with him was at a film party. Many journalists were taking photographs with Dharmendra, and he never refused anyone who wanted a picture with him. In the crowd he noticed me standing a little away and said,
“Why are you standing so far?”
He made me sit beside him, placed his hand on my shoulder, and posed for photographs. Even at that moment, his question was the same: “How is Mayapuri? How is Bajaj Sahab? These days your magazine doesn’t reach my house.”

What he meant was that Mayapuri had now gone online. When he learned that even in the digital race Mayapuri was ahead of other film magazines, he felt very happy. Dharam ji said, “This is change… and change never stops.”

Also Read:Why Bollywood Stars Deeply Admired Late Pramod Kumar Bajaj (P. K. Bajaj)

Indeed, change never stops. It moves so fast that we never know when news of someone’s departure will arrive. Change keeps moving, but people stop. Dharam ji’s journey came to an end, and now Bajaj Sahab’s journey has also stopped—forever. What remain now are only memories.

When Dharmendra passed away, I had written a similar remembrance through Bajaj Sahab. Nearly one lakh people read it on my Facebook page. Now that Babuji is no longer with us, those questions of Dharmendra echo in my mind again and again:

“How is Bajaj Sahab? How is Mayapuri?”
Truly, in today’s time, the simple warmth of asking about each other’s well-being between the media and celebrities seems to have disappeared.

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