Happy Birthday Dharmendra and Sharmila Tagore! Here are our favourite films featuring the pair

Two of Hindi cinema’s most endearing star-actors celebrate their birthday on December 8 .While he-man Dharmendra turns a ripe 80, the beautiful Sharmila Tagore is now 71. The two made an interesting and very successful pair, especially in the films that they did together for Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Here’s a list of some of our favourite films of this birthday special pairing:

Anupama (1966)

This was the first time Hrishikesh Mukherjee brought this very compatible pair together. Sharmila played Uma, a repressed girl who hardly spoke. Dharmendra plays a poet and a writer who tried to bring the shy withdrawn Uma out of her shell. Their performances so complemented one another that Hrishi_da_ went on record to state this was his favourite star pair. A lot of us agree. Anupama was memorable for its melodies composed by Hemant Kumar.

Devar (1966)

In the same year as Anupama came another powerful drama, this one directed by Mohan Segal. Like Anupama, Devar too was about repressed unspoken love. Dharmendra played Sharmila’s brother-in-law, silently in love with her as he watched her suffer in a bad marriage. A film way head of its times, it was made memorable by composer Roshan’s melodies, “Baharon ne mera chaman lutkar” and “Guzra zamana bachpan ka” sung by Mukesh.

Satyakam (1969)

Regarded by most as Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s best film and by far Dharmendra’s most accomplished performance, Satyakam released in 1969. As a man whose idealism destroys his family, Dharmendra’s natural performance has withstood all ravages of time. Sharmila plays the perfect foil as his supportive wife.

Yakeen _(_1969)

During the same year as Satyakam, Dharmendra and Sharmila were seen together in the kitschy espionage thriller Yakeen, directed by Brij Sadanah. The film is most memorable for its title song which included the hotblooded hero chasing Sharmila, who sported itsy bitsy hot pants. Put her in a ghagra-choli or a western outfit, Sharmila was game for any role.

Mere Humdam Mere Dost (1968)

Dharmendra and Sharmila looked smashing together in Mere Humdum Mere Dost. Laxkimant-Pyarelal’s songs went a long way into making this trashy film a blockbuster.

Chupke Chupke (1975)

In the 1970s, Sharmila was busy doing films with Rajesh Khanna. But she reunited with Dharmendra one more time for their beloved director Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s comedy Chupke Chupke, which has acquired cult status over the years.

Ek Mahal Ho Sapnon Ka (1975)

A love triangle featuring Dharmendra with Sharmila and Leena Chandravarkar. This is potentially the  most forgettable film from the Dharam-Sharmila oeuvre.

Sunny (1984)

The beautiful pair came together one more time for Dharmendra’s home production, where Sharmila played his mistress. He dies at the beginning of the film leaving behind the two women in his life, Sharmila and Waheeda Rehman to fight it out.

Devdas (1976)

Gulzar launched his own version of Saratchandra classic with Dharmendra, Sharmila and Hema Malini cast as Devdas, Paro and Chandramukhi. Tragically the project went no further than the mahurat. If this version of Devdas had happened no doubt Dharmendra and Sharmila would have given a new lease of life to Saratchandra’s doomed lovers.