“It’s always a pleasure to meet good friends,” says Dharmendra after meeting Mumtaz

“Humein aur milna chahiye,” says yesteryears’ superstar Dharmendra after his meeting with former co-star and friend Mumtaz.

Dharmendra, who has been staying at his farmhouse outside Mumbai since the pandemic, feels that Covid has distanced human beings from one another even more. “Social distancing has now become the normal thing. Nobody meets anyone anymore. Sometimes it gets lonely. Given the current situation, it was very sweet of Mumtaz to drop in. We met after many years."

Mumtaz and Dharmendra go back a long way. “We did a hit film together in the 1960s Mere Humdam Mere Dost where she was the second lead. Mehnat se woh top heroine bann gayi. In the 1970s we did two very good films together Jheel Ke Uss Paar and Loafer. Loafer’s songs were big hits. Aaj mausam bada beimaan hai is hummed to this day.”

Dharmendra and Mumtaz spent some time reminiscing about old friends.

“All her favourite co-stars Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand are gone. It’s sad when you lose your friends. We must meet more often before it’s too late.”