02 August,2011 09:48 AM IST | | Sheena Thomas
He could never let go of the chocolate boy and the romantic hero tag in the 1970s. Several decades might have passed, but Dharmendra is still the same old romantic at heart. He just wants a new tag now -- the actor wants to be referred to as the Darling D of the entertainment world. The man who made it big in Bollywood through a talent contest is now the judge on one. Dharmendra talks to CS about his journey, being the showman that he is:
Who: Dharmendra
What: Talking about his love for the camera
Where: At a suburban hotel
The show goes on
I love the camera -- be it the small or the big screen. I still feel as excited as a newcomer when the camera starts rolling. I think I was born to be an actor and a star. Even when I was a little boy living in a small village in Punjab, I always dreamt of making it big. One day I told my parents that I wanted to go to Mumbai to find a place in Bollywood. I came to the city of dreams and participated in a talent contest that gave me a ticket to Bollywood. The rest is history.
Fan-tastic
In my time there were fewer opportunities to become an actor, than there are today. And I lucked out. But this generation is very different from ours. They are ready for every eventuality and exude a self-confidence that we lacked. TV is a medium that has become very popular and I am happy to be a part of it now. If you remember, it was the TV industry that turned Amitabh Bachchan into the Big B. I'm hoping that I'll soon be known as Darling D. I've always prided myself in being able care for my fans. Parvah kar ke dekho, pyaar aa hi jayega, dushman bhi banke yaar aa hi jayega -- that's been my mantra. And I hope to reconnect with my fans through my TV debut. Chal pade hain toh pahuch bhi jayenge. I don't think that it's hard to play judge. After all, God has blessed us all with the ability to opine -- we have our own take on the films that we watch and the music that we listen to. I don't have any hang-ups making my opinions public. But yes, my heart breaks when I have to say 'no' to talented youngsters.u00a0
Have a heart
I'm a very emotional person and writing poetry is my way of giving my emotions an outlet. Everything that is in my heart gets translated into words. In my younger days, I was known as the onscreen lover boy, and frankly, I'm still like that. I think romance frees your soul. That doesn't mean that I am a flirt -- I can romance with nature too. But yes, it's easy for me to have crushes. I would be very happy to play a romantic hero even now, but I will add my own nuances to the character. It would be a very naughty romantic hero (laughs).
