Not Sholay, this 1965 film would have made Dharmendra superstar, made for Rs 70 lakh, it earned Rs 6 crore, he rejected it due to..., movie was..

Dharmendra is one of those actors of Hindi cinema who made a place for himself in the industry on his own. One step at a time, he climbed the ladder of fame, and the whole world saw his stardom. Dharmendra won the Filmfare Talent Hunt Contest in 1960. Along with this, he was promised a film, which was the prize for winning. However, when he reached Mumbai, the film was delayed so much that it was never released.

Why did Dharmendra reject Yash Chopra's Waqt? 

Dharmendra did not give up and agreed to do any role that came his way. He made his debut with the film Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere. At the beginning of his career, Dharmendra worked in all kinds of films, even if he had to play side roles. Time passed, and Dharmendra's hard work paid off. Slowly, the actor's popularity grew, and he started getting magnificent offers from filmmakers. While earlier, Dharmendra used to agree to do all kinds of roles, he soon got into a position of rejecting many films whose success he was doubtful about.

Dharmendra wanted to work only in films that would make him a superstar. During this period, he was offered Yash Chopra's multi-starrer film Waqt. The story of the film was about three brothers who get separated, and Dharmendra was chosen to play the role of the elder brother. Whereas, Sunil Dutt and Shashi Kapoor were playing the role of younger brothers in the film.

How did Dharmendra become a superstar?

Dharmendra turned down Yash Chopra's Waqt, after which the legendary filmmaker cast Raaj Kumar in his place. Waqt was released in theatres in 1965 and proved to be a blockbuster. Raaj Kumar's character got the most attention in the film and made him an overnight star. Dharmendra refused to play the role of the elder brother in the film and lost out on the opportunity. It took him 10 years to become a superstar with the release of Sholay. 

Waqt, made on a budget of Rs 70 lakh, earned Rs 6 crore at the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of its time.

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