A comparison between the two great superstars of Bollywood of the 1970s – Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan – would be an extremely interesting exercise for any fan of movies and film stars. The towering Big B with his brooding, intense personality, fills one with admiration and awe even now. On the other hand, the smiling, gregarious Dharmendra used to seem friendly and charming.
Dharmendra once described himself as a very emotional person. “If someone smiles at me, I instinctively hug them. I can’t help it. I was made like that,” he said. When the Dharmendra-Amitabh duo acted together in Sholay, it became one of the most iconic pairings in the history of Bollywood. Recently Amitabh said: “Dharam-ji got me the role for Sholay. He was already in the film. I asked him to put in a word for me and that’s how I got the role in the epochal film.“ Reportedly Amitabh received only 1 lakh as against Dharmendra’s 1.5 lakhs but the former didn’t complain.
Most handsome actor in Bollywood
Coming to good looks, Dharmendra was well ahead. In his heyday, Dharam was considered by many to be the most handsome man on the silver screen. Actress Madhuri Dixit once said: “I think that he is one of the handsomest persons I have ever seen.” It is widely known that Jaya Bachchan (then Jaya Bhaduri) was a big fan of Dharmendra. She too had praised his looks on many occasions.
In the 1971 film Guddi, Jaya Bhaduri played the role of a star-struck schoolgirl who has a crush on Dharmendra. But it was not just on the screen. That was the case in real life too.
Both superstars had the ability to project their personality with great impact on the screen. Dharmendra excelled at action, romance and comedy. It was a rare and versatile mix which showed his effortless ability to project warmth and tenderness when required.
Amitabh’s intensity spoke for itself
Amitabh Bachchan, who became famous as the “Angry Young Man” in the 1970s, had a persona built around intensity, supercharged emotional conflicts, and high drama. He was a larger-than-life figure. With one stare, he could convey emotions which reached deep inside the hearts of the viewers and stirred their feelings. His silences spoke entire dialogues.
In this respect (conveying intensity with stillness), Amitabh was similar to Dilip Kumar. Shyam Benegal had once rated Amitabh Bachchan as second only to Dilip Kumar when asked to name the best actors in Hindi cinema.
When it came to acting style, Dharmendra’s method was intuitive and emotional. He excelled at subtle roles but also had superb comic timing. When doing a romantic role, he was a very natural actor. One could feel his gentle and good-natured personality.
In comedy, Amitabh too was excellent. In Amar Akbar Anthony and Satte Pe Satta, the Big B’s one-liners and dialogue delivery are unforgettable. He too was good at romantic roles (Silsila, Abhimaan, Kabhi Kabhie and others). But when Amitabh played a romantic role, he carried his intensity with him. The audience could feel the sentiments as deeply as the character on the screen.
Big B reinvented his image
Amitabh was able to reinvent himself as he grew older and his appearance changed. In the 1970s, he was the Angry Young Man, in the 1980s, he was a mainstream commercial hero (Dostana, Laawaris, Naseeb etc.) and from the 2000s onward, he was a character actor with depth and gravitas. Typical examples are the 2015 film Piku with Deepika Padukone as his co-star, and the 2020 film Gulabo Sitabo with Ayushmann Khurrana.
Dharam fell behind
In this respect, Dharam lagged behind. He could not change himself as well as Amitabh. In middle age, Dharmendra’s characters became rather predictable and they became the subject of mimicry and memes. His “Kutte-Kaminey” dialogue was overexposed.
Both had outstanding films
But who had more star power and popular impact? From the 1960s to the mid-1980s, Dharmendra ruled as one of the most charismatic stars on the silver screen. Despite the huge appeal of Bachchan’s characters during this phase, Dharmendra held his own place and had his own following. Producers and directors knew that a film with Dharam in it would succeed just as much as one with Bachchan.
What were the most notable films of the two Bollywood legends? Back in 1969 a film was released named Satyakam. It was directed by the celebrated filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee and had Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore as the main leads, supported by Ashok Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar. The main character of Satyakam was played by Dharmendra. The movie won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Dharmendra has stated that this role was his most significant performance. Hrishikesh Mukherjee also ranks the film among his best films.
Dharmendra’s top films
Dharmendra’s four top-grossing films were Sholay (1975), Dharam Veer (1977), Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) and Jugnu (1973). The romantic roles that Dharam has done in films with Hema Malini, Sharmila Tagore and Asha Parekh such as Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Naya Zamana, Anupama, Neela Akash and others were highly successful.
In Anupama, Dharmendra shed his rugged persona to play Ashok, a quiet, compassionate poet. His soulful portrayal revealed a soft and sensitive side to his nature. The film’s understated romance with Sharmila Tagore made it one of the most beautiful love stories of its time.
In Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s light-hearted film Chupke Chupke, Dharmendra showed he could be successful at comedy too, by playing the role of Professor Parimal Tripathi. In fact, he once said that in real life, his own nature was very similar to the prankster-professor Parimal Tripathi.
Amitabh’s biggest hits
Amitabh’s biggest blockbusters came in the early part of his career. He defined an entire era with films like Zanjeer, Deewar, Sholay, Shakti and Don among many others. He created a new type of hero – complex, angry, anti-establishment but also confident.
Where Amitabh outshone Dharmendra was in exerting a greater cultural impact on society. He had more iconic monologues and dramatic scenes and exhibited more diversity especially in his later career.
To sum up, both will always be legends of Bollywood but each in his own way. Dharmendra will be remembered for his effortless charm, versatility and good looks, Amitabh for his commanding personality – a performer who redefined masculinity and heroism on screen. While the lovable Dharam captured the hearts of the audience, Amitabh left them speechless with veneration.
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