The one role Dharmendra wanted to play in life was that of the septuagenarian lover from The Bridges of Madison County, the 1995 American film based on the 1992 bestselling novel of the same name by Robert James Waller.
Clint Eastwood directed and starred opposite Meryl Streep in this autumnal love story.
Now, Sriram Raghavan, who directs Dharmendra in his swan song, Ikkis, reveals that the veteran actor was keen on playing Clint Eastwood’s role.
“Dharamji kept telling me, ‘Let’s do The Bridges Of Madison Country.’ I had my Clint Eastwood in Dharamji. But who would play Meryl Streep?” Sriram wonders aloud to Subhash K Jha.
“Dharamji does not have a cameo in Ikkis; it’s a full-fledged role,” Sriram continues.
“In spite of his age, he was the life and breath on the sets. We felt older than him. His enthusiasm was infectious. He would come on the sets with his lines fully memorised. He treated Amitabh Bachchansaab‘s grandson Agastya like his own grandson. He had so much love to give. There was so much more he wanted to do but destiny had other plans.”
Being Dharamji‘s final release, Ikkis has acquired an added poignancy.
“It is the story of a young soldier who dies at 21. We lost Dharamji while shooting. Luckily, I was able to show him 70 percent of the film. But I wish he watched it entirely.”
Photograph curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
