Dharmendra Was 'Reluctant' To Do Seeta Aur Geeta, Says Javed Akhtar: 'He Was Too Big...Hema Malini Was Hero'

Javed Akhtar has revealed that Dharmendra was initially hesitant to sign Seeta Aur Geeta. In a recent chat with SCREEN, the veteran writer revealed that since Dharmendra was a superstar, he was reluctant to do a film where the heroine, Hema Malini in this case, was the main lead in the film with a double role.

Javed Akhtar said, “I must tell you that Dharamji was a bit reluctant to work in Seeta and Geeta. It was an out-and-out heroine film. There was a double role for the heroine, and there were two heroes. Dharamji was too big during that time to do a film where Hema Malini was the hero. But he was kind enough to give us his time for Seeta Aur Geeta.”

“He had a very funny role. But there were some serious and poignant moments also when he is

drunk, and he talks about his loneliness and so on. So it was taken for granted that he would be there in Sholay. There was no doubt that no one else would play Veeru. But who will play Jai’s role? There were many contenders, including Shatrughan Sinha and Raj Kumar,” Javed Akhtar said, also reflecting on their collaboration on Sholay.

Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) is a classic Bollywood film directed by Ramesh Sippy, featuring Hema Malini in a double role as twin sisters Seeta and Geeta. The story follows the contrasting lives of the two sisters — Seeta, a victim of abuse, and Geeta, a carefree, spirited woman. The plot unfolds as they swap places, leading to a mix of comedy, action, and drama. The film was written by Salim-Javed, inspired by the earlier Ram Aur Shyam (1967), but with a female-centric twist, making Hema Malini the film’s central figure.

Hema Malini and Dharmendra remain one of the most iconic pairs in Bollywood. After working together in films like Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Naya Zamana, Seeta Aur Geeta, Raja Jani, Jugnu, Patthar Aur Payal, Pratigya, Sholay, and many others, they had made their spot as the “hit jodi” of Bollywood.