When Dharmendra called Meena Kumari his star crush: "I would just keep looking at her"

Dharmendra and Meena Kumari once rumoured to be in love

Veteran actors Dharmendra and Meena Kumari, who have shared the screen in several movies like Phool Aur Patthar, Chandan Ka Palna and Baharon Ki Manzil, have been great friends, and their on-screen chemistry fueled off-screen rumours.

However, Dharmendra had made it clear that he worshipped Meena Kumari like a fan and also tried to curb down her drinking habit.

During his appearance on Aap Ki Adalat, Dharmendra admitted that he saw Meena Kumari as a mentor who guided him through the halls of fame, and she saw him as a project in need of her direction.

Although Dharmendra was working on just as many, if not more, films with actors like Mala Sinha, who were also more well-known than him, it was widely assumed that he had somehow used his relationship with Meena to secure better film offers.

The tabloids started publishing stories about Meena losing her patience when she wasn't with Dharmendra or reciting shayari for him at cocktail parties as the rumours of their relationship grew. However, these stories were unverified.

However, Dharmendra once admitted his love for Meena as a star. He was asked if he was in love with the veteran actress, to which Dharmendra said, “It wasn’t love, I was her fan. As a fan, I would just keep looking at her. If you call the relationship between a fan and a star love, then call it love.”

Meena Kumari and Dharmendra met for the first time on the set of the 1965 film Purnima. Over the course of four years, they worked on seven films, the first of which was Purnima. When Dharmendra first learned that he would be working with the "tragedy queen," he was understandably anxious because he was a novice and she was a celebrity.

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According to Vinod Mehta's 1972 book "Meena Kumari – The Classic Biography," Dharmendra would ask other members of the unit, "What is Meena ji like?" because he was "petrified" at the idea of facing her in front of the camera. He was "unsteady," and someone suggested that since she was his senior, he might want to touch her feet when he first saw her.

Meena Kumari passed away in 1972, and Dharmendra paid his last respects at her funeral. However, veteran actress Nargis later penned an open letter declaring Meena Kumari’s love for him.

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The letter reads, “If Meena has ever loved anyone passionately, the person is Dharmendra. If Meena ever turned crazy in love with someone, it was Dharmendra.” Nargis called it the “most beautiful” phase of her life, hinting that it was a positive influence on her.

Veteran actor Dharmendra passed away on Monday, November 24, 2025, due to age-related health complications. He was 89.