Marathi actor Bharat Dabholkar recalls his ‘kurta connection’ with Dharmendra

Noted advertising professional and actor Bharat Dabholkar has recalled his ‘kurta connection’ with Bollywood icon Dharmendra.

Dabholkar, who has also appeared in Marathi theatre and in films, took to social media to recount his connect with the late star, adding he never met him.

“Years ago, Satish Bhatia sir, the ace director of photography, had given me the lead role in his Marathi directorial TV serial Gharo Ghari, opposite the hugely talented Savita Prabhune,” Dabholkar, 56, wrote on Facebook.

“One night, he called me and said tomorrow we are shooting a bedroom scene, so carry your night clothes. I spent the whole night, visualising great images of a ‘bedroom’ scene, and carried my white kurta and a lungi, only to be informed that a white kurta won’t do on TV as it blurs (the image).

Dabholkar said that was when Bhosle Dada, who had worked with Hrishikesh Mukherjee, and was in charge of the unit’s costume department, announced that in his ‘peti’ (box) he had some coloured kurtas worn by Dharmendra in Mukherjee’s films.

“I was given, with great reverence, a colour kurta worn by Dharmendra. It was tighter than a tight tee shirt.”

“When I told Bhosle Dada, he looked at me incredulously, surprised at my blasphemous statement and said, “Dharam ji ka hai, kisi ko bhi hona chahiye (It is Dharam ji’s kurta and should fit everyone).”

“In my mind I said, anyway it is a bedroom scene, so I will be taking it off early in the scene, and went for the shot. Little realising that in a Marathi TV serial in those days, a bedroom scene meant the husband lying in bed under a sheet alone and the wife shouting from the kitchen “Aho, ataa uthata ka, chaha thand hotoy (Wake up dear, the tea is getting cold)”.

“And thus, the day was saved for Bhosle Dada, me and for one of my most favourite actors, Dharmendra ji. I wore your kurta, Dharmendra ji, so we have a connection,” Dabholkar wrote in the now viral post.

Mukherjee was one of the rare directors who cast Dharmendra against his popular image of He-man. Dharmendra and Mukherjee’s popular films are “Satyakam”, “Anupama”, “Chupke Chupke” and “Chaitali”.