Bollywood actress Hema Malini recently shared a memorable and somewhat embarrassing incident she experienced while shooting a popular song with Dev Anand for the film Johnny Mera Naam. Despite the awkwardness, the film went on to become a major hit of the year. The film also holds a special connection to her husband, Dharmendra.
Released in 1970, Johnny Mera Naam – a crime thriller – was a landmark film in Hindi cinema, becoming a massive blockbuster. The film featured the first-ever pairing of Dev Anand and Hema Malini and included hit songs like “Pal Bhar Ke Liye” and “O Mere Raja”, which continue to captivate music lovers to this day.
Speaking at an event in Jaipur in September 2023, celebrating Dev Anand’s centenary, Hema Malini recalled the uncomfortable moment during the shoot of “O Mere Raja”. The scene was filmed near Nalanda in Bihar, where both actors were supposed to sit in an aerial rope chair.
Hema explained, “Dev sahib sat first, and I was supposed to sit in another chair, but I missed it, and he ended up having me sit on his lap. In real life, this was very embarrassing for me, and I felt incredibly uncomfortable during the shoot too.”
She continued, “At one point, the power to the rope chair was cut off, and I was stuck on Dev Anand’s lap. The chair stopped midway, and the power went out. I said, ‘Dev sahib, I can’t sit like this.’ Sitting with all his weight on me was really uncomfortable.”
Despite this awkward moment, Johnny Mera Naam became the highest-grossing Indian film of the year. The film even inspired the title of the 2007 film Johnny Gaddaar, starring Dharmendra. In one scene, actor Neil Nitin Mukesh checks into a hotel and, upon hearing Johnny Mera Naam playing at the reception, adopts the fake name “Johnny,” which inspired the film’s title.
On a separate note, Dharmendra has reunited with director Sriram Raghavan after 18 years for their upcoming film 21. The war drama is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, a hero of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war. Agastya Nanda plays Arun Khetarpal, while Dharmendra portrays his father, Brigadier M. L. Khetarpal. 21 is set to release on Christmas Day, 25 December.