Dharmendra never won Best Actor Filmfare Award despite 4 nominations in 65 years, Rishi Kapoor bought the award in one of those years for Rs…

Dharmendra never won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor

Dharmendra, considered one of the greatest and most successful actors of Indian cinema, passed away on November 24. The 89-year-old superstar, who made his acting debut in the 1960 film Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere, starred in more than 300 films until his last film, Ikkis, which will be released next month, and holds the record for making the most hits in Indian cinema. It’s unfortunate that Bollywood’s He-Man has never won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor despite receiving four nominations in his 65-year career. Ironically, he had started his journey in Bombay, now Bombay, and had won Filmfare’s nationwide talent competition to find new actors in 1958.

Dharmendra’s first nomination came for the 1966 romantic drama Phool Aur Patthar, but Dev Anand was chosen as the winner for the film Guide. He earned his second nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare Awards for the 1971 action film Mera Gaon Mera Desh, but Rajesh Khanna rightfully took home the Black Lady statuette on Anand’s behalf. The late actor was nominated again for the masala film Yaadon Ki Baaraat in 1973, but Rishi Kapoor was chosen as the winner for his debut film Bobby. Finally, Dharmendra’s fourth and last nomination was for the 1974 drama film Resham Ki Dori, but it was again Rajesh Khanna who won the award for Avishkaar.

In his biopic Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, the Karz actor admitted that he got the Best Actor Film Award for Bobby for Rs 30,000. Justifying himself, Rishi said, “I feel guilty about it. I was 20-21 too and after Bobby, I suddenly became a big star and became a real brat. Someone said to me, ‘You know, we can get this award, do you want it?’ he said, and I said, ‘Yes, of course,’ and then he said, ‘It’ll cost you R30,000.’ 30,000 rupees was big money back then. “So I said why not?”

“But listen… that guy could have been a dude. Considering the suspicion, the reward may never have reached the original people. I never felt that the reward was compromised. Yes, I continued to receive the award but maybe they gave it out of merit? I don’t know if it went to their pockets. But I gave that much money to a man,” concluded the Hum Tum actor.

Dharmendra finally won his first Filmfare Award as a producer when 1990’s Ghayal, starring his eldest son Sunny Deol, was named Best Film. In 1997, the Sholay actor was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. His idol Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan presented him with this special honor.

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