On what would have been Dharmendra’s 90th birthday, fans are celebrating his legendary screen aura and the unforgettable films that defined an era. While the tributes continue to pour in, veteran writer Javed Akhtar marked the occasion by revisiting a lesser-known chapter from the superstar’s journey- his hesitation before agreeing to the classic ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’.

Also Read: Dharmendra’s first love wasn’t Prakash Kaur, Meena Kumari or Hema Malini- A childhood crush lost to Partition!

Why Dharmendra Initially Hesitated to Accept the Film?

In a nostalgic interaction with SCREEN, Akhtar shared that Dharmendra, who was already riding the waves of stardom, was careful about his film choices- especially those led by female protagonists.

Akhtar recalled, “I must tell you that Dharamji was a

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