Shashi Ranjan reveals he was planning a docu-series on Dharmendra; says the actor told him he wasnt going anywhere | Exclusive

Mumbai: Actor Shashi Ranjan, in an exclusive interview with News9, revealed he was planning to make a docu-series on the life of veteran actor Dharmendra. He revealed that he was in talks with the actor about it and even divulged that the legendary actor told him that he was not going anywhere. 

"The saddest part of my life would be that I won't be able to make the docu-series that I wanted to make on his life. I was in talks with him. The past 2-3 months were quite emotional because we used to discuss what could we do in the docu-series. I gave him the list of people that could potentially feature in the docu-series," said the actor. 

He added that he was keen on starting the shoot soon and also recollected Dharmendra assuring him that he was going to be around. "He gave his suggestions too. I wanted to start shooting soon. He would say, 'Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.' I think fate was something else." 

Shashi recollected an incident from last month. He said that the iconic actor recited his poem to him for 30 minutes. "I think a little over a month ago, he recited his poetry to me for half an hour or so. He wanted to make something on his poetry. He was innocent. He'd say, 'What's there to think about? Let's just take a camera and start shooting,'" said the actor. 

Shashi also went on to cherish memories of Dharmendra and called him a "father figure". In the interview, the actor revealed that he was a fan of Dharmendra even before meeting him in Mumbai. 

"Dharam ji inspired me to become an actor. When I used to watch Dharmendra's films, I used to see this good-looking, healthy man. I come from Haryana, and we liked heroes who were handsome and strong. Dharam ji was my idol. I met Dharam ji within a year or two after moving to Mumbai through common acquaintances. I think it was an instant liking," said Shashi. 

Looking back, he said that Dharmendra recommended him to actors and introduced him to producers. "He used to call me to his film shootings. He'd call me and ask me to come to his house and then accompany him to his shootings. I often went with him and he'd introduce me to producers. He even recommended me to a couple of films. One of those films was Gardish starring Rekha, where I played a parallel lead. I have countless memories with Dharam ji," said Shashi.