Revisiting Dharmendra’s favourite Dadar eatery

The late Dharmendra would often be remembered and perhaps justly as an action hero But he could be just as soft witty and intelligent Nobody knew this quite like his fellow Punjabi late Kulwant Singh Kohli The restaurateur and founder of Dadarrsquos iconic Pritam Da Dhaba remained a lifelong friend of the actor till his passing five years ago ldquoIt goes to a time before they were legendsrdquo shares grandson Abhayraj Singh KohlildquoThe restaurant began in 1942 as Pritam Punjab Hindu Hotel This was a time when Dadar was the heart of the city and the film industryrdquo Abhayraj reminds us The industry was also largely dominated by the Punjabi community including members of the Kapoor familyGaram Dharam cocktailFor anyone who has visited the Dadar landmark the sight of framed photographs on its wall is the immediate reminder While the Kohlis remember Dharmendrarsquos first visit with filmmaker Bimal Roy in the 1960s for the film Bandini 1963 the connection is far deeper ldquoBack in 2018 during his 84th birthday my grandfather Kulwant visited him before writing a column in the newspaper Loksatta It was then that he Dharmendra revealed how he had a meal at the hotel on borrowed moneyrdquo Abhayraj revealsA photograph of Dharmendra fourth from left with Kulwant Singh second from right at the restuarantThe story goes that the actor had arrived in Bombay after having won the Filmfare Talent Hunt in the 1960 and signed on for Arjun Hingoranirsquos Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere 1960 Having run out of money over the period he would walk his way down to Ranjit Studio in Dadar EastEven then the famous Dal Makhani and Butter Chicken were popular lunch orders at the studios But with no money in his pocket the actor had to struggle and swallow his pride As Kulwant Singh shared the desperate Dharmendra borrowed R10 from a helpful person at the studio premises and dropped by at Pritam for a mealKulwant Abhayraj Singh Kohli Dharmendra and Kulwant Singh PICS COURTESYpritamrestaurantldquoAs luck would have it in a week he was back again for Bimal Roy brought him here to talk about Bandini 1963 After that he would often visit and filmmakers would hold talks with him hererdquo Abhayraj reveals As for his favourites Kohli shares ldquoIt was not about the food for Dharam ji The restaurant today is not how it was Back then my grandfather and great grandfather would sit down with charpais and would talk to people who would drop inrdquo For the Punjabis in the city the vibe was a throwback to the villages they had left far behindNo surprise then that much later the restaurant created a cocktail in the honour of their iconic friend Garam Dharam R725 A blend of whiskey cumin garam masala lime and egg give it the spice and warmth that befits the name ldquoThe cocktail was the result of a combination of spirits and flavours that Dharam ji liked It is warm spiced and with the strength that reminds you of his personality My uncle created the cocktail and named it after him as a tributerdquo Abhayraj Now would be the ideal time to raise a toast to those cinetinted memories that the icon left behindAt Pritam da Dhaba Pritamrsquos Estate Dr BA Road Dadar EastCall 9100428080Listen to his hits1 Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas Black Mail 19732 Aaj Mausam Bada Beimaan Hai Loafer 19733 Kisi Shayar Ki Ghazal Dream Girl 19774 Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi Todenge Sholay 19755 Main Jat Yamla Pagla Deewana Pratigya 19756 Ya Dil Ki Suno Duniyawalo Anupama 1966RELIVE THE MAGIC OF DHARMENDRAWallup postersSholay remains a timeless classic and nothing beats these iconic lines from Dharmendra Give your walls a touch of his swag with these postersLOG ON TO tallengestorecomCOST Rs 281 onwardsFrom original vintage prints to contemporary recreations these posters are perfect to make the hardcore Hindi cine fan smileAT Shop Number 3 Ground Floor Pali Hill Bandra WestLOG ON TO hippyinCOST Rs 2999 onwardsTshirtsSport the iconic Basanti dialogue from Sholay on your tshirtLOG ON TO frankywearingcomCOST Rs 679 onwardsYou can also celebrate the epic 1975 actionadventure with these vibrant highquality printed tees featuring the iconic DharmendraAmitabh Bachchan jodiLOG ON TO impulsifo_tshirtsCOST Rs 499 onwardsPortraitsThis stunning portrait comes from the personal photography archive of Prem Sagar son of the late Dr Ramanand Sagar who directed this action film LalkarLOG ON TO sagarworldcomCOST Rs 1900 onwardsMugs and stickersBelieve your friendship mirrors Jai and Veeru Start your mornings with mugs featuring their iconic motorbikeride momentLOG ON TO collectorseditioncomCOST Rs 249 onwardsGet your hands on these cool Sholay stickers with their iconic dialogues to add some fun to your collectionLOG ON TO redbubblecomCOST Rs 178 onwards