Earlier, writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar claimed that Dharmendra had rejected the 1973 film Zanjeer, and Amitabh Bachchan became their last option, ultimately taking up the lead role. Now, in an interview with Instant Bollywood, Bobby Deol has revealed the emotional reason behind his father turning down the blockbuster film. (Also Read: Bobby Deol reveals why dad Dharmendra didn’t allow him to attend star kids’ birthday parties)
Bobby Deol recalls dad, Dharmendra, doing a film to help a relative
When asked whether he or his family had ever done films to return a favour, Bobby recalled how his father once did a film to help a relative during a financial struggle. He said, “There was a film Satyakam. My father did it for my aunt’s husband. They were facing some financial problems, so my father gave them ₹25 lakhs. I don’t remember the exact amount, but just imagine—giving ₹25 lakhs in the ’60s. My dad has always been someone who has taken care of people.”
Why Dharmendra rejected Zanjeer
Bobby further recalled the emotional reason that led Dharmendra to reject Zanjeer and said, “When Zanjeer was offered, Dad wanted to do it. However, humari ek cousin sister thi, aur unki shayad koi problem hogyi thi Prakash Mehra Ji se (we had a cousin sister who apparently had some issues with Prakash Mehra Ji). She came to the house one day and said, aapko meri kasam, agar aapne yeh film ki toh aap meri dead body dekhoge (‘I swear on me, if you do this film, you’ll only see my dead body’). So my father had to give up on Zanjeer.”
In 2022, Dharmendra had also responded to Javed Akhtar’s claim. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote,“Javed, kaise ho… dikhave ki iss duniya mein haqeeqaten dabi rah jaati hain. Jeetey raho… Dilon ko gudgudana khoob aata hai… kaash sar chad ke bolne ka jaadu bhi seekh liya hota (Javed, how are you… In this world of pretence, truth often gets buried. Stay blessed… I know how to make hearts smile… Wish I had also learnt the magic of speaking out loud).”
About Zanjeer
Directed by Prakash Mehra, Zanjeer became one of the biggest blockbusters of Amitabh Bachchan’s career and earned him the title of the ‘angry young man’. The action-crime film also starred Jaya Bhaduri, Pran, Ajit Khan, and Bindu. It revolved around Inspector Vijay Khanna (Amitabh), who sets out to avenge his parents’ death after being suspended from duty.
Bobby Deol’s upcoming films
Meanwhile, Bobby Deol will next be seen in Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1 – Sword vs Spirit, which stars Pawan Kalyan in the titular role alongside Bobby, Nidhhi Agerwal, Nargis Fakhri, and Nora Fatehi. The film is scheduled to release in cinemas on 9 May. He also has the Alia Bhatt and Sharvari-starrer Alpha in the pipeline, which is set to release in December.
Leave a Reply