When Dharmendra approved Jaideep Ahalwat’s driving license

Jaideep Ahlawat, who has earned immense love and respect for his powerhouse performances in projects like Paatal Lok, Jaane Jaan, Maharaj and more. He would soon be seen sharing screen space with his late father’s favourite actor Dharmendra in Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis. The film also features Agastya Nanda, grandson of Amitabh Bachchan in the lead.Recalling his very first day of shoot with Dharmendra in an interview with ETimes, Jaideep couldn’t hide his admiration for the veteran star. He described Dharam ji as “incredibly sweet, humble, funny, and brimming with charisma.” According to Jaideep, the 88-year-old icon still has an infectious charm, the same that has endeared him to audiences for decades. “He had some of the best one-liners I’ve ever heard, his humour is amazing,” Jaideep shared with a smile.Opening up about his first meeting, Jaideep said, “On my first day, Sriram Sir introduced me to him. I touched his feet and he blessed me warmly. My first scene with him involved me driving a car, with Dharmendra ji sitting beside me. It was a simple scene where I had to drive straight, and if there were retakes, we had to bring the car back to the original mark.”While Jaideep initially thought an assistant director would step in to adjust the car for retakes, he decided to do it himself.

“I did it 2–3 times and the path was slightly uneven, so I was adjusting the car back myself,” Jaideep recalled. Observing this, Dharmendra, with his signature wit, cracked a joke that left everyone laughing. “He looked at me and said, ‘Puttar, hun tainu driving license mil sakda hai’ (Son, now you’ll definitely get your driving license).

That’s how funny and effortless the man is,” Jaideep laughed.The actor further shared another lasting impression from that day Dharmendra’s larger-than-life presence, not just in personality but even physically. “I have fairly big hands myself, but Dharam ji’s hands are huge. When I shook his hand, I realised just how massive and strong they are. That moment stayed with me,” he said, clearly moved by the experience.

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