Dharmendra Longed For A Comeback Before Death, Told Anil Sharma: ‘Camera Meri Mehbooba Hai’

Filmmaker Anil Sharma, who shared a long creative association with Dharmendra, has revealed a deeply emotional memory from his last meeting with the legendary star before his passing. The director—who worked with Dharmendra across multiple films—described the veteran’s unwavering passion for cinema, even at nearly 90 years of age.

A Chance Meeting That Became A Final Memory

Speaking on Hussain Zaidi’s YouTube channel Hussain Zaidi Files, Sharma said he visited Bobby Deol at their family home this September. Dharmendra was seated among guests, greeting everyone with the warmth and humility he was known for.

“When I entered, he hugged me,” Sharma recalled. “He immediately asked, ‘Anil, what are you doing these days?’”

But what Dharmendra said next

stunned him.

Dharmendra’s Plea: “Camera Meri Mehbooba Hai”

Sharma revealed that Dharmendra looked at him with striking clarity and said, “Anil beta, mere liye ek kamaal ka role likh. Mujhe kuch karna hai. Camera meri mehbooba hai — woh mujhe bula rahi hai. Mujhe wapas jaana hai uske paas.” (“Write an amazing role for me. I want to work again. The camera is my beloved — it’s calling out to me. I want to return to it.”)

According to Sharma, Dharmendra repeated this request three times, almost pleading with him.

“I promised him I would write something. I had no idea that would be our last conversation,” he said. “He was going to be 90, but look at his zeal. Cinema wasn’t business for him — it was pure love.”

Hope After Hospitalisation

Sharma also recalled visiting Dharmendra shortly after he was discharged from the hospital. At the time, there was optimism.

“He opened his eyes, moved his hands… he was recovering,” Sharma said. “Doctors told us ‘Dharamji is very strong’. Everyone believed he would bounce back.”

The family had even begun preparing for his 90th birthday on December 8.

A Bond That Lasted Decades

The filmmaker described Dharmendra as someone untouched by stardom.

“Stardom never touched him. He was always grounded,” Sharma said. “He loved cinema the way people love God.”

Sharma added that despite not meeting frequently, Dharmendra always made an effort. “He came for the launch of my book The Hit Girl. We did two reality shows together. He was always gracious.”

The Legend’s Final Curtain Call

Dharmendra passed away on November 24, just weeks before turning 90. His final wish, as Anil Sharma narrates it, wasn’t grandiose—it was simply to stand before the camera one last time.

A performer to the end, he longed to return to the craft that defined him. The camera was his beloved. And he wanted to go back to her.