Dharmendra was a huge fan of this actress, watched her film Dillagi over 40 times
Mumbai: Bollywood's very own he man, Dharmendra, was a huge fan of actress-singer Suraiya and had seen her film "Dillagi" 40 times.
Dharmendra was the heartthrob of his fans, especially women. Women were enamored with his charming looks and personality. Many actresses also adored him. However, in his youth, Dharmendra was a huge fan. Dharmendra was so impressed by Suraiya's 1949 film "Dillagi" that he watched it more than 40 times and often walked miles to reach the cinema hall.
Dharmendra admitted that seeing Suraiya inspired him to enter films. Dharmendra once revealed that he was so mesmerized by Suraiya's beauty that he had seen her film "Dillagi" 40 times. Dharmendra had said that he would travel from place to place to get a chance to see Suraiya's films.
Suraiya was Dharmendra's crush, but Suraiya loved Dev Anand. At the peak of her career, she fell in love with Dev Anand, but their love story never materialized. Suraiya, the first choice of every actor and director, remained single throughout her life.
In 1963, Suraiya retired from her Bollywood career. She passed away in 2004 at the age of 75. Today's generation may not know who she was, but at her peak, she was unmatched, dominating films with her voice and screen presence. No wonder Dharmendra had a crush on her.
After playing many roles in films, Dharmendra entered politics for social service and in the year 2004, he became a member of the Lok Sabha by winning the election on the Bharatiya Janata Party ticket from Bikaner, Rajasthan.