"Phool Aur Patthar": When Hindi cinema got its He-Man

Dharmendra

A fortnight before turning 90 ( December 8 ), popular Hindi film actor Dharmendra passed away today. With his death, an era has come to an end. It's been 65 years, but it seems like only yesterday when an extremely shy, talented and strikingly handsome, Dharam Singh Deol (Dharmendra) debuted in Arjun Hingorani's potboiler, " Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere ", in 1960.

It wasn't the kind of outing the beginner ( who was introduced as "Dharmender" in the titles with Balraj Sahni and Kum Kum getting the top billing ) might have been proud of and in fact, it did nothing to kick-start his career. A romantic drama, " Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere ", was a big flop.

     However, Dharmendra's physique and good looks were noticed and he started getting many  roles. Till mid-60s, the man with a robust physique played lead as well as supporting roles in pictures like " Soorat Aur Seerat ", " Bandini ", " Anpadh ", " Shola Aur Shabnam ", "Aayi Milan Ki Bela ", " Kaajal ", " Mein Bhi Ladki Hoon ", " Pooja Ke Phool ", "Poornima" and "Akashdeep ".

The ventures were average successes. Interestingly, most of Dharmendra's leading ladies in these films like Mala Sinha, Meena  Kumari,  Nutan and Nanda were big stars.The kind of commercial and critical acclaim the actresses had won, eluded Dharmendra.

It was at this juncture that Dharmendra got the main role in O.P.Ralhan’s “Phool Aur Patthar” opposite tragedy queen Meena Kumari. Sunil Dutt was reportedly the original choice, but things didn’t work out between him and Ralhan and Dharmendra was chosen to play the part.

There were reports that during the making of the film, Dharmendra and Ralhan had a showdown over something  and at one stage, the actor even thought of walking out of the project. However, the two later  sorted out the matter and the movie was completed.

Came 1966. It belonged to Dharmendra and  “Phool  Aur Patthar”. It was a year he would always remember and the  viewers would always cherish. Things changed for the actor forever.

A highly engrossing account of a hardened criminal, Shaaka (Dharmendra), turning a Good Samaritan by nursing an ailing widow, Shanti Devi ( Meena Kumari), to health in a house he had gone to burgle and later fighting the odds to rescue her from her greedy in-laws, "Phool Aur..." catapulted Dharmendra to stardom.

The movie made Dharmendra an overnight sensation. Images of the hero in a black jacket and a scarf around his neck were enough to draw the audiences in droves to theatres. With songs like “Sheeshe Se Pee Ya” and “Sun Le Pukar”, Ralhan’s deft direction, tight editing, popular dialogues, action sequences and stellar performances , " Phool Aur Patthar" became a golden jubilee hit and was the highest grosser of the year.

Though Dharmendra didn’t sing any song in the film, his tour de force acting established him as  the He-Man of Hindi film industry. A sedate Meena Kumari was the perfect foil  to the tough but vulnerable villain.The lead actors became a hit pair after the release  and later starred in movies like “Chandan Ka Palna”, “Manjhli Didi” and “Baharon Ki Manzil”.

If  feature presentations like “Aaye Din Bahar Ke”, “Anupama”, “Devar”, “Baharen  Phir  Bhi Aayengi”, “Mohabbat  Zindagi Hai”, “Mamta” and “Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya” in the same year brought  Dharmendra  recognition, the  blockbuster, “Phool Aur Patthar”, made him a matinee idol.

O.P. Ralhan acquired the status of  a prominent director. Dharmendra also won a nomination in the Best Actor category of the Filmfare Awards for that year, a trophy which eventually  went to Dev Anand for “Guide”. “Phool Aur Patthar” was also remade in Tamil . Sunil Dutt’s loss was Dharmendra’s gain.