Dharmendra wants his next film to reach a wider audience
Actor Dharmendra says he is proud of his grandson Karan. “I was in tears when I heard the rap song written and sung by my grandson Karan in ‘Yamla Pagla Deewna’. I was taken by surprise that this little fellow has tons of potential to write and sing so well.”
Asked if he sees another Dharmendra in the making, Dharmendra smiles and says, “Right now he has assisted director Santosh Sivan. I think within a year he will strike the silver screen successfully. However, there’s only one Dharmendra and that’s me.”
He says Sunny plays the shy guy in the film. “Bobby and I play the naughty ones… while, Sunny plays a ‘sharif’ boy. Well! On camera we are actors and we perform to the best of our ability. Sunny is a man of few words. But on camera he is not shy. I remember in the last edition of ‘YPD’, Bobby addressed me as ‘kamina’ and many relatives and friends complained about it. They wondered how a son could address his father using such cuss words. Off camera, my kids possess spectacular behaviour.”
On his character in the film, the ‘Sholay’ actor adds, “I play a fraud in the film. While Bobby accompanies me from one place to another, at one point of time I ask him to throw all his expensive belongings… into the water. Watching him do this, others follow. Finally, we collect all the stuff and vanish.”
Turning nostalgic he adds, “I remember in 1958, I had arrived in Mumbai. I was residing in Versova. Hailing from Punjab, I had got struck by the world of glitz and glamour. I would swim down from Versova to Juhu Beach. Right now, I am sitting at Sunny Sound and I am so happy about my achievement. I remember, I would swim down and right behind Sunny Sound there stands a cottage until today. I would always wish to make my own bungalow right in front of this cottage. I do not know why this wish passed my mind then. But, when I look back I feel so privileged to have made it. It’s thanks to my mom. Without her support I would have not been here. I have got more than I asked for.”
Dharm Paji is open to working with Ajay Deol. “Why will I not work in his production? After all he is my son. I did give him the first break if you remember. Abhay is a brilliant actor. He has been associated with characters which he likes to perform. We are all a family.”
Wearing that lovely beach coloured suit he smiles and says, “All my dresses are designed by Aahana. She is good at it. She has designed this suit too and asked me to wear a white shirt with it.”
“I have learnt one thing — publicity of a film plays a vital role in creating the traffic jam at the box office windows. Hence the trailers of ‘YPD’ will be shown to the audience through ‘bioscopes’ which will be laid out at cinema halls. Also, we want our films to go beyond Punjab. A worldwide rigorous publicity campaign has begun and ‘YPD’ is all set to reach the audiences all over the globe.”
Lipika Varma
