Dharmendra turns 79, celebrates b’day in Kartarpur

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 8

”It feels great to celebrate my birthday after 55 years in Punjab. It is indeed a homecoming to me as Jalandhar has always been close to my heart,” said legendary Dharmendra on his 79the birthday today. Getting emotional while celebrating his birthday on the set of his upcoming film “Second Hand Husband” in Kartarpur, one of the most handsome actors of yesteryear said he always preferred to remain in the hearts of people rather than in their minds as the mind dislodged the memories sometimes but the heart cherished them forever.

The legendary actor wished to celebrated his birthday at Sant Cinema near the railway station in the city as he considered it the place that motivated him to join the film industry. “I used to travel to Jalandhar without ticket in the bus to watch Hindi movies at Sant Cinema. Once, I was not allowed by the bus conductor, I quietly hid myself behind a huge bag of cauliflowers on the roof of the bus. The conductor pulled me down after a heated argument,” said the most sought after romantic hero of the 70’s, who was born at Nasrali village near Khanna in 1935. He said he still remembered the way his parents forced him to drink a large glass of milk every night.

In the city to shoot for his upcoming movie, directed by Smeep Kang, the actor said his mother always prayed that none of his son became a film star. “Yeh Pyaas aisi hai ki Bujhti hi nahi hai. Hum hamesha Sehme hi rehte hain. Aapni har film ke saath jeete aur marte hain,” said Dharmendra who is playing opposite to Deepshikha in the movie, which is launching Gippi Grewal and Govinda’s daughter Narmada Ahuja in the Bollywood. The film is produced by Amolakh Singh Gakhal, a Jalandhar-based NRI. “I want my well-wishers and audience to continue to love me,” said the romantic- action hero of the Indian cinema.