Dharmendra, who didn’t want to play Veeru, was the highest-paid actor on the set of Sholay, received Rs 1.5 lakh

Dharmendra, or should we say He-Man, as he has been fondly known across decades, truly embodies the title in every sense. Not just because he redefined how masculinity was portrayed on screen with his good looks, but also because he was among the first few stars whose talent commanded substantial fees for his films.

His fee for the 1975 classic Sholay remains one of the most talked-about examples of his stature in the industry. Despite Sholay’s stellar ensemble cast, Amitabh Bachchan , Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, and Amjad Khan, Dharmendra was reportedly the highest-paid among them. He received Rs 1.5 lakh for the role of Veeru, while Amitabh Bachchan was paid Rs 1 lakh for his character of Jai.

Interestingly, Dharmendra initially did not want to play the role of Veeru