‘Dharam ji ka haath faavde ki tarah tha’: Aamir Khan recalls shaking hands with Dharmendra for the first time and his massive hands saying he got ‘scared’ while working as an assistant director
Aamir Khan recently revisited a memorable first encounter with the late Bollywood legend Dharmendra during his appearance on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ Season 18. While promoting ‘Batwara 1947’ alongside Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta, Aamir recalled meeting Dharmendra when he was still working as an assistant director at Nasir Hussain’s office. Remembering their first handshake, the actor jokingly said Dharmendra’s hand was “like a shovel” and admitted that the sheer size and roughness of the veteran star’s hand momentarily scared him.
Aamir Khan recalls meeting Dharmendra as an Assistant Director
Aamir Khan revealed that he first met Dharmendra years ago while working as an assistant director at filmmaker Nasir Hussain’s office located right across Mumbai’s iconic Mehboob Studio. Narrating the story, he said, “Sir, main ek kissa sunau? Main Dharam ji se pehli dafa mila tha, main Nasir sahab ke office mein baitha tha, Mehboob Studio ke bilkul saamne. Dharam ji is very close to Nasir sahab, saath mein film bhi ki thi Yaadon Ki Baaraat, toh aksar actors unko milne aa jaate the because his office was right opposite to Mehboob (Sir, may I share an anecdote? The first time I met Dharam ji, I was sitting in Naseer Sahab’s office, right opposite Mehboob Studio. Dharam ji was very close to Naseer Sahab, and they had also worked together in Yaadon Ki Baaraat. So, actors would often come to meet him because his office was right opposite Mehboob Studio).”
Aamir Khan talks about shaking hands with Dharmendra
Aamir Khan went on to describe the moment Dharmendra walked into the office and was introduced to him. He said, “Toh ek din Dharam ji achanak se aa gaye. Toh main assistant tha, main khada ho gaya, aur Chachajaan ne taareef karaya, ‘Dharam ji, yeh mera bhatija hai, Aamir.’ Toh maine Dharam ji se haath milaya. Dharam ji ka haath faavde ki tarah tha aur jab maine haath milaya toh actually main dar gaya. Itna bada haath kiska hota hai bhai, aur itna rough, aur maa kasam mujhe first thought aaya, Sunny aur Bobby ka (So, one day, Dharam ji suddenly walked in. I was an assistant at the time, so I stood up. Chachajaan introduced me, saying, “Dharam ji, this is my nephew, Aamir.” I shook hands with Dharam ji, but his hand was like a shovel! And when I shook his hand, I actually got scared. I thought, “How can someone have such huge hands, yaar?” They were so big and rough. And I swear, the first thought that came to my mind was Sunny and Bobby).”The anecdote captures Dharmendra’s larger-than-life physical presence, which, along with his good looks, earned him the title of Bollywood’s He-Man.
Dharmendra’s legacy
Dharmendra passed away in Mumbai on November 24, 2025, at the age of 89, leaving behind a career spanning more than six decades. He appeared in over 300 films after debuting in 1960 and went on to become one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated stars. His iconic films include ‘Phool Aur Patthar’, ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh’, ‘Satyakam’, ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’ and ‘Sholay’, all of which remain milestones in Bollywood history. Even in his later years, Dharmendra continued to win audiences over with films like ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, ‘Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya’ and ‘Ikkis’, proving his enduring appeal across generations.
