He was a gem of a person and I have some wonderful, personal memories of him. The great success that Dharamji achieved as a hero is something else and the personality that he was — loving, humble and grounded that is yet another aspect of his life. The qualities that everybody loved him for.
We worked together in many films including Pocketmaar (1956), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Jwaar Bhata (1973), Resham Ki Dori (1974), Saazish (1975) and more but he remained the same — wonderful, humble, down-to-earth man that he always was. Success never changed him one bit. When we worked together for the first time in Aayee Milan Ki Bela, Dharamji was wearing this Western-style, cowboy hat in the movie. He was relatively new in the film industry and looked very handsome. Dharamji played the villain in the movie and my mother told him — ‘Dharam, you know that you are looking like a Hollywood hero. Mark my words, one day you will be the top hero in the industry.’ And so it happened — from playing different roles he transcended to one of the most popular Indian stars ever.
Right now, I am too upset to say anything. He was like Yusuf saab’s younger brother who would often come to visit us and was like family to us.