Veteran actor Dharmendra once opened up about his first love during an appearance on Salman Khan’s television show Dus Ka Dum. The actor appeared with his son Bobby Deol and recalled an innocent crush from his school days in pre-Partition Punjab, writes Times of India.
Long before Hema Malini entered his life, Dharmendra had developed feelings for a girl named Hamida, the daughter of his schoolteacher. He was in class six at the time, while Hamida was studying in class eight.
Dharmendra said he was too shy to approach her directly. Instead, he would quietly look at her and hope for a chance to sit near her. He later recalled that Hamida had no idea about his feelings.
“Hum man hi man mein kehte rehte the. Thandi aahen bharte rehte the. Samne wali ko maloom hi nahi tha,” he said, explaining that he would silently express his feelings and sigh with longing while the girl remained unaware.
The memory stayed with Dharmendra for decades. He also revealed that he had turned his innocent affection into a poem while he was still a student.
Bobby brought up the poem during their appearance on the show, prompting Dharmendra to explain that he wrote it before the Partition of India in 1947.
“Main jab padhta tha, partition nahi hua tha, tab ki baat hai,” he said.
Dharmendra then recited the poem, describing himself as a young and innocent boy who wanted to spend time with Hamida.
“Main chhota tha, maasoom thi umar meri. Woh kya thi, pata nahi. Paas jaane ko jiske, saath baithne ko jiske ji chahta tha. Woh taliba thi aathvi ki, main chhathi ka tha. Hamare school teacher ki beti thi, naam Hamida tha,” he recited.
Their innocent connection never developed into a relationship. Partition changed the lives of both families, with Hamida and her family eventually moving to Pakistan while Dharmendra’s family remained in India. The two were never reunited.
Dharmendra also remembered their brief conversations. He said Hamida would sometimes smile at him, encouraging him to come closer, but his nervousness often left him unable to express himself properly.
“Yuhin muskura deti, main paas chala jaata. Woh khaamosh rehti, main sar jhuka deta. Woh poochti kuch aur thi, main keh kuch aur jaata tha,” he recalled.
He said Hamida would sometimes tell him, “Udaas mat ho, Dharam. Abhi waqt hai, tere imtihaan mein sab theek ho jaayega.”
“She would then walk away, and I would keep watching her. After she disappeared, I would keep wondering, ‘Sawaal kya hai, yaar?’” he recalled.
Dharmendra, popularly known as the “He-man”, went on to become one of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars, with a career spanning acting, production and politics.
He died in Mumbai on 24 November, 2025. His final film appearance was in the biographical war drama Ikkis, which was released in theatres on 1 January, 2026.
