Dharmendra is considered one of the most good looking men that Hindi cinema has ever seen. Many actresses have confessed that. Apart from his aura on screen and performances, Dharmendra was also known to have left a charm on many women even offscreen. Among his link-ups, his relationships rumour with Meena Kumari had generated immense curiousity. Meena Kumari was married to filmmaker Kamal Amrohi who was 15 years older to her but their marriage fell apart. That’s when the ‘Pakeezah’ actress was said to have found comfort in Dharmendra’s company. He was new to the industry at that point and she reportedly recommended him to many film-makers as she believed in his talent. When Meena Kumari passed away, actress Nargis wrote a letter to her stating, ‘Maut Mubarak’. In this letter she also mentioned that Meena Kumari was deeply in love with Dharmendra. The translated letter, featured in ‘Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai: Urdu Memoirs of Cinema Legends’ by Yasir Abbasi and excerpted by Indian Express, offers a heartbreaking glimpse into Meena Kumari’s personal life. It states, “If Meena has ever loved anyone passionately, the person is Dharmendra. If Meena ever turned crazy in love for someone, it was Dharmendra.” However, as they drifted apart, she drowned herself in alcohol and began to inch towards death. Years ago, in an interview, when Dharmendra was asked if Kamal Amrohi didn’t cast him in ‘Pakeezah’ because Meena Kumari was in it, the actor responded, “People are jealous of me, man.” Further reflecting on his affair rumours with Meena Kumari, he had said, “I was not in love with Meena Kumari. She was a huge star and I was her fan. If you call the relationship between a fan and a star as love, then consider it as love.”Later, Kamal cast Dharmendra in ‘Razia Sultan’. While Dharmendra was cast as a slave Jamal-ud-Din Yaqut, Hema Malini was cast as Empress Razia Sultan. Kamal had insisted that Dharmendra apply a black paint over his body for the role and the actor had to do it amidst scorching heat of the sun and shoot in the deserts bare-backed while the black paint was running down his face and body.Many thought, it was Kamal’s perfection as a director, but sources at that time, also said it was Kamal’s way to seek revenge.
