Dharmendra played lead in Hindi remake of Rajkumar–Vishnuvardhan’s iconic Kannada film ‘Gandhada Gudi’

Bengaluru: Dharmendra, who died on Monday, acted in the hit Hindi remake of an iconic Kannada film starring Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan.

‘Gandadha Gudi’ (1973) was remade in Hindi with Dharmendra reprising Rajkumar’s portrayal of Range Forest Officer Kumar. Directed by Mohan Sehgal, it was called ‘Kartavya’ (1979). The film was about wildlife conservation, a theme not common in mainstream Hindi cinema of the time. It was a super hit. 

When he was shooting for ‘Sholay’ (1975) in Ramanagara, near Bengaluru, Dharmendra and his co-stars  moved from a hotel in Bengaluru to camp near the rocky hills. 

The actor is fondly remembered by the people of Karnataka—his connection with the state dates back to the early days of his film career. 

‘Shola aur Shabnam’ (1961) was shot in Premiere Studios in Mysuru, filmmaker S V Rajendra Singh Babu told DH. 

“We would see Dharmendra around. He would frequently visit the Lalit Mahal Palace for shooting in those days. He shot in Bandipur for Chinnappa Devar’s ‘Maa’ (1976),”Babu added. In ‘Maa’, Dharmendra plays Vijay, who lives in a forest and makes a living by catching animals for zoos and circuses. ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’ was Dharmendra’s second film. 

Babu, who has directed two films starring Dharmendra’s wife Hema Malini, used to frequently meet Dharmendra during script discussions and preview screenings. He remembers him as a “gentleman”. 

“He was both a class and mass hero. ‘Guddi’ and ‘Dharamveer’ are some of his memorable films. I wanted to work with him, but could not,” Babu said.

“When we shot ‘Meri Aawaz Suno’ (1981), a remake of the Kannada films ‘Antha’ and ‘Sharara’ (1984) with Hema Malini, I used to stay in Mumbai and visit him often. He was always cheerful and never once got angry,” recalled Babu. He remembered how, when producers ran into debt when a movie flopped, Dharmendra would help clear their debts. 

Land in Bengaluru

At the peak of his career, Dharmendra had bought many acres in Bengaluru’s Electronics City for a farm, but he eventually sold it, Babu said.

Film historian K Puttaswamy remembers movies of Dharmendra and Hema Malini doing well in Bengaluru. “‘Naya Zamana’, ‘Jugnu’, ‘Tum Haseen Main Jawan’ and ‘Sholay’ were some of the films that attracted houseful shows in Bengaluru,” he recalled. 

Cut-off box - How Sholay got Bengaluru its first girls’ swimming pool
The blockbuster hit ‘Sholay’  helped Bengaluru get its first swimming pool for girls. The Baldwins Girls High School hosted the premiere of ‘Sholay’ at Galaxy theatre Residency Road. It was a benefit show to fund the construction of a swimming pool according to the school’s newsletter published in September 1975.
The tickets were priced at Rs 50 Rs 25 Rs 15 and Rs 10 and about Rs 50000 was raised through ticket sales the newsletter says.