Numero Uno
Dharmendra: Not Just A He-Man begins on a gushing note. So when author Rajiv Vijayakar declares that Dharmendra was ‘the absolute numero uno from 1969 to 1977’, it’s tempting to think his fanlike admiration for the star is going too far. After all, 1969 was the year when Rajesh Khanna burst into the limelight with Aradhana. But Vijayakar isn’t wrong, and he has evidence to prove it. With films like Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Jeevan Mrityu, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Chupke Chupke, Dharmendra did, in fact, deliver more hits than Rajesh Khanna, whose box office track record was spotty after 1971 despite the hysteria he created.
A book like this was overdue. This ‘stud with innocent looks’ delivered not only hits at the boxoffice but also what was required in the middle-of-the-road cinema made by film-makers like Bimal Roy and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Yet, his effortless ease in romance, action, comedy and other genres was never recognised fully.
Tracing the actor’s 250-plus films, including more than a few duds, Vijayakar gives an interesting glimpse into almost six decades of Indian film-making. He also does a skilful balancing act talking about the sentimental actor’s two families. While first wife Prakash is held up as an epitome of devotion, second wife Hema Malini, with whom ‘the soft-spoken actor’ fell hopelessly in love, is shown as an independent and undemanding spouse.
The book is not without its flaws, however. Vijayakar frequently omits the year of release when he mentions one of Dharmendra’s films, leaving it to the reader to flip the pages back and forth to find out. The language is inconsistent, sometimes a jarring, colloquial style. Also, the photographs are disappointing, considering the wealth of material one might expect was available. There are three pictures of Hema Malini but not a single one of Prakash! Also, instead of so many stills from inconsequential films, at least one picture of the actor with Asha Parekh was warranted, considering she featured in some of
Dharmendra’s biggest hits.