二 |     Filmmaker Anil Sharma's association with Dharmendra and the Deol family goes back a long way. He had directed the late actor in Hukumat (1987), which went on to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the filmmaker's career. Together, they delivered more hits such as Elaan-E-Jung (1989), Farishtay (1991) and Apne (2007). Filmfare caught up with Sharma, who opened his heart about this bond with Dharmendra.Excerpts:     What kind of an impact did Dharamji have on your life and career?     My entire career exists because of him. The first star I ever saw on the big screen was Dharmendra. When I became an assistant director, I worked with him on The Burning Train (1980). And the biggest blockbuster of my life, my first blockbuster Hukumat was also with him. We also did Elaan-E-Jung, Farishtay (1991) and Tahalka (1992), and all four were hits.          I worked with his son Sunny Deol on Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). I produced Policewala Gunda (1995) and directed Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo (2004) with Bobby Deol. My film Apne had all the three Deols in it. Then there were The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003) and Singh Saab The Great (2013). My whole life has been spent working with the Deols and most with Dharamji. I consider myself fortunate to have worked with this family and Dharmendra. He was a legend, an era by himself . People love him so much because he too loved them in equal measure.     Go on...     Dharmendra was a young man from Sahnewal... He would stand before the Frontier Mail train and say, 'Frontier, please take me to Bombay.' And truly, Dharmendra became the film industry. He would have 6–7 releases in a single year, and all of them were hits… Today, if an actor gives even three hits in a year, he’ll run around with a sword, ready to conquer the entire country.     Dharmendra ji delivered massive blockbusters that no hero today has ever seen on that scale. It was not just action films that worked. He did films like Anupama, Chupke Chupke, Naya Zamana, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Pratigya, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Hukumat. He had such a range! All these were hit films. And he was so handsome… It felt like God crafted him with his own hands, and then broke the mould forever. He was what you truly call, 'a Greek God'. Today we loosely call many heroes 'Greek God' but the real Greek God was Dharmendra.          It is said that he never increased his fee even after delivering blockbusters...He had multiple hits releasing at the same time. When he watched Hukumat, he liked it a lot. His payment terms used to be that some money was given during production and the rest upon release. So, he told me, 'Anil, you've made such a wonderful film, I'm waving off my entire balance fee.' He would waive off his remaining payment if you made a good film. He had no attachment to money; his attachment was only to good cinema.     How was your last meeting with him?     It was a couple of months ago. He asked me about the films I was working on. He then said that he wants to do such a film that the world will watch in awe and asked me to find a role for him. He said, "Camera meri mehbooba hai, aur mujhe miss kar rahi hai..." (Camera is my beloved, and she is missing me) I'm missing her too and I have to go back to her. He actually had a film ready to release and in the last couple of years, he had done films, and he had such passion even at the age of 89. He would tell me, "Just watch, I’ll do such good work that the world will watch… you’ll see what I’ll do. You’ll see." It felt like he was the same little boy from Sahnewal.                                                                 View this post on Instagram          A post shared by Anil Sharma (@anilsharma_dir)               How was Dharmendra as a person when the cameras stopped rolling?      Dharamji never realised how big his stardom and influence was. We would tell him that you are such a big star and he would say, "I am nothing...I am just a farmer, a man of the soil." In fact, the entire Deol family is like that. They genuinely believe they are still new and have a lot more to achieve. Dharam ji once said that he worked only for the people and their love. He came to be a part of the film industry, and he didn’t just become a part of it, he became the film industry itself.     Tell us about Sher, Dharmendra's shelved James Bond style spy thriller...     Sher goes back to 1988. I wanted to make a James Bond–style film. Recently the poster suddenly resurfaced, and everyone was shocked seeing Dharmendra with such a fantastic, powerful physique. I was a big fan of Bond films, because what does a Bond film need? Personality, handsomeness, wit, romance in the eyes, action prowess, intelligence, and Dharam ji had every single one of those qualities. But somehow, the film couldn’t get made. Hukumat hadn’t released yet at that time and I had signed Sher during Hukumat itself. The producer ran into some issues. If the film had been made, it would have been something remarkable in Dharamji’s career. I still have the script with me. Even now, people tell me to make it with Sunny Deol. I haven’t thought about it yet, but yes, I’ll see, and maybe I will think about it again.     What do you want people to remember most about Dharmendra and his legacy?     He was a genuinely good human being who knew how to love. I used to ask him what defines a good actor and he always said that a good actor is first a good person. If today’s actors understand just this one thing, they’ll automatically become better actors. If you’re a good person, you can play a bad man, you can play a worthless man, you can play an average man. His goodness, and the way he showered love on people, these two qualities were truly special about him. And that is exactly how he will always be remembered. He is a legend and legends never die, they remain immortal.     Also Read: Exclusive: When Esha Deol Called Dharmendra and Hema Malini Excellent Babysitters。