When Dharmendra drank 12 bottles of alcohol in a day, said, "Love killed me, alcohol killed me, I won’t find anyone..."

When Dharmendra drank 12 bottles of alcohol in a day, said, "Love killed me, alcohol killed me, I won’t find anyone..."

As Bollywood’s beloved “He-Man,” Dharmendra has long been admired for his rugged looks, effortless charm, and the soulful vulnerability that made him a star unlike any other. But few stories about the veteran actor are as shocking and oddly poetic, as the one he once shared about his drinking days. It’s a throwback that continues to fascinate fans and reminds them of the candour with which Dharmendra has always spoken about his life.

In his youth, Dharmendra often turned to alcohol, a habit that spiraled into addiction during the peak of his career. He has openly admitted that his relationship with alcohol once overpowered him. In one particularly haunting memory, he confessed that, under the influence, he even grabbed his father by the collar, an act he deeply regrets to this day. “I was young and foolish,” Dharmendra had said, reflecting on the incident. “But life has a way of humbling you. I learnt my lessons the hard way.”

One of the most famous tales about his drinking comes from the sets of the 1975 cult classic Sholay. It was during this shoot that Dharmendra, by his own admission, ended up drinking an astonishing 12 bottles in a single day. The actor revealed, “I would sit behind the cameraman and secretly drink from his stock. When the production staff told him that he had consumed 12 bottles, he was shocked.” According to him, the cameraman always carried five to six bottles of beer on set, but Dharmendra’s thirst that day went far beyond that.

The anecdote became a part of Bollywood folklore, not only for its absurdity but for what it revealed about Dharmendra’s disarming honesty. Unlike most stars of his generation, he never tried to hide his flaws behind glamour. His stories were always laced with humour and humility, a rare combination that made fans adore him even more.

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When questioned publicly about his drinking habits, Dharmendra didn’t get defensive. Instead, he replied in a way only he could, with poetry and pain woven together. “Love killed me, alcohol killed me, and I won’t find anyone else who can match you,” he said. “If there were no alcohol, there would be no love; this life would be a different life.”

Even as he looks back on those turbulent years, Dharmendra’s legacy remains untouchable. Having started his career in 1960, he went on to deliver iconic performances in films like Phool Aur Patthar, Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, and Sholay. Now 89, the actor continues to win hearts — most recently appearing in Shahid Kapoor’s Teri Baatein Mein Aisa Ulja Jiya (2024). His candid reflections serve as a reminder that even legends carry their scars with grace — and that honesty, perhaps, is Dharmendra’s most enduring quality.