When Dharmendra paid Rs 20 to spot boys for extra hugs with Hema Malini, Ramesh Sippy says, 'he had plenty of time to romance'

When Dharmendra paid Rs 20 to spot boys for extra hugs with Hema Malini, Ramesh Sippy says, 'he had plenty of time to romance'

Dharmendra’s passing has reopened a vault of memories, and one of the most enduring tales is from the Sholay set, where his growing affection for Hema Malini quietly shaped the shooting atmosphere. Their story had begun years earlier on Tum Haseen Main Jawaan in 1970, the first film that paired them. By the time Sholay rolled around in 1975, his feelings were no longer subtle; they were steady, unmistakable, and often expressed through gestures that were equal parts filmi and personal.

During one of the revolver-training scenes between Dharmendra and Hema, he found himself wanting those moments to last a little longer. Instead of relying on chance, he created his own luck. Dharmendra would quietly hand spot boys Rs 20 to drop a reflector, shake the trolley, or create any small delay that justified retaking the shot. Each pause meant one more chance to be close to Hema. Over time, he spent nearly Rs 2,000 on these planned “accidents.” Hema wasn’t annoyed; she understood his intent and was charmed by the persistence.

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When asked about this story in an interview with ETimes in October 2025, Sholay director Ramesh Sippy didn’t dismiss it. He answered with the kind of calm amusement that only a man who has seen everything on a film set can offer. “I’m sure he did a lot of things, but it did not hamper my work. It took time for me to take my shots. So he had plenty of time to romance. I didn’t have to do anything. I just had to do my work and take my time doing my kind of work, which gave them enough time, I guess, to be together.”

That period wasn’t a fleeting flirtation. Dharmendra and Hema went on to work in a string of successful films: Raja Jani, Pratiggya, Dream Girl, Jugnu, Sharafat, and Seeta Aur Geeta. The chemistry on screen wasn’t created; it was lived.

In 1980, they finally married. It wasn’t a simple decision. Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur, with whom he had four children: Sunny, Bobby, Ajeeta, and Vijeta. His relationship with Hema brought its own share of scrutiny and emotional complexity, but it also brought two daughters into their lives, Esha and Ahana.