Jai-Veeru in reel, friends for real

When Sholay was being cast, the role of Jai wasn’t meant for Amitabh Bachchan. It had first gone to Shatrughan Sinha. But Dharmendra sensed something special in the tall, soft-spoken newcomer who often dropped by his sets. He liked the baritone, the sincerity and the quiet fire. And just like that, with one suggestion to Ramesh Sippy, Amitabh became Jai. In ‘Sholay’, Jai and Veeru (Dharmendra) were inseparable. Their friendship is history and has created a legacy. In real life, too, both remained thick. So, on Monday, when Dharmendra passed away at 89, an emotional Amitabh rushed to the cremation ground.

But the bond didn’t start with ‘Sholay’. It began earlier, when the struggling young Amitabh was still knocking on doors. Dharmendra saw potential and personally recommended him for ‘Zanjeer’, the film that turned him into the ‘Angry Young Man’.

From ‘Sholay’ to ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Ram Balram’, ‘Hum Kaun Hai?’ and even the little moment in ‘Guddi’, their pairing always felt natural both on and off screen.

When Dharmendra was unwell and returned from the hospital a few days ago, Amitabh self-drove to meet his Veeru. When the ‘He-Man’ passed away, Amitabh stood by him one last time, with Abhishek and grandson Agastya beside him.

Life has a strange sense of coincidence or maybe destiny. In Dharmendra’s final film ‘Ikkis’, he plays the father of India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee Arun Khetarpal, a role played by none other than Amitabh’s grandson Agastya. Just a few days before ‘Sholay: The Final Cut’ is supposed to release, Veeru bids adieu. The fully restored 4K version of the cult classic, with the never-before-seen original ending, is set to re-release in theatres across India on December 12, 2025.