When Sitting MP Dharmendra Was Offered Role Of A Criminal In Johnny Gaddaar, Sriram Raghavan Recalls Being 'Nervous' Before First Meeting

Legendary actor Dharmendra passed away on November 24 after being in and out of hospitals over the past few months due to age-related illness. His demise has left a void in the film industry that will never be filled. The veteran star last featured in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya in 2024 and will be seen posthumously in Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis, the biopic of the youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee, Arun Khetarpal. Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda plays Khetarpal in the war drama and Dharmendra will be seen playing his onscreen father ML Khetarpal.  

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Raghavan, who has previously worked with Dharmendra in Johnny Gaddaar (2007), has confirmed that the veteran star has a "substantial" role in Ikkis and his swansong will be a fitting tribute to him. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Raghavan recalled the time when he narrated the story of Johnny Gaddaar, a film set in the world of crime and killings, to the then Member of Parliament Dharmendra. He served as a Member of the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Bharatiya Janata Party representing Bikaner in Rajasthan from 2004 to 2009. 

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“Someone had fixed up an appointment with him. I was quite nervous. After all, I was meeting a star that I had always loved. He was a Member of Parliament at that time. I wondered, ‘I am going to offer him a crime story about gangsters. What would he think?,” the AndhaDhun director shared.

Raghavan continued, “But he put me at ease. Then, we started talking about cinema. I listed so many of his films, which I had seen. He was very amused and surprised."

In another interview with PTI, Raghavan shared that Dharmendra recommended certain changes in the second half of Johnny Gaddaar and even contributed to the dialogues of the film. Interestingly, the director wanted to work with Dharmendra in Saif Ali Khan starrer Agent Vinod (2012), but they couldn't work out the dates.