The Lost James Bond of Bollywood: Dharmendra's Shelved Spy Thriller
Veteran director Anil Sharma recently took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, revealing fascinating details about a never-released James Bond-style spy film starring Dharmendra that was supposed to launch their collaboration in 1986. The film, titled Sher, remains one of Bollywood's most intriguing what-if stories from the late 80s era.
The International Spy Project That Never Took Off
According to Sharma's recent social media revelations, Sher was conceived as an ambitious international co-production between India's RSD International and Thailand's Alkemal production houses. The film featured Dharmendra in what would have been India's answer to James Bond - a stylish spy character designed to showcase the veteran actor's action prowess and comic timing in equal measure.
The director shared the original poster from 1986, which shows a shirtless Dharmendra displaying his impressive physique while holding a gun, with the intense tagline "To save humanity!" clearly indicating the global stakes of the proposed narrative. Sharma emphasized that the film was planned with extensive international shooting schedules abroad, though initial work began in Mumbai studios.
Behind the Scenes of the Unmade Classic
Despite the project's eventual shelving, significant preparatory work had already been completed. Anil Sharma confirmed that several action sequences and one song had already been shot before production halted. The music was composed by the legendary duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal, while veteran writer Kadar Khan had penned the dialogues, suggesting a substantial creative team behind the project.
"I still remember @aapkadharam did highly stylish action and lovely comedy scenes," Sharma wrote nostalgically, indicating that Dharmendra had already demonstrated his versatility in the filmed portions. The mahurat (inaugural ceremony) had taken place at Hotel Sea Rock before the release of their eventual first collaboration, Hukumat, in 1987.
Sharma, who was relatively new to direction at the time with only a couple of films including Bandhan Kuchchey Dhaagon Ka featuring Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman to his credit, expressed genuine regret about the project's cancellation. "Kash ye film ban pati. Bahut hi jabardast and entertainment se bharpur thi script," he lamented, translating to wishing the film had been made given its terrific and entertaining script.
The Deol-Sharma Legacy That Followed
Although Sher never materialized, it marked the beginning of a fruitful professional relationship between Anil Sharma and the Deol family. Following the shelved project, the director and Dharmendra went on to collaborate successfully on four consecutive action films: Hukumat (1987), Elaan-E-Jung (1989), Farishtay (1991), and Tahalka (1992).
The partnership eventually extended to the next generation of Deols, with Sharma directing Sunny Deol in the blockbuster Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) and later creating a spy film with the son in Hero: The Love Story of a Spy (2003) - fulfilling his spy movie ambitions years after the shelved Sher project with the father.
The director's collaboration with the Deol family reached its peak when he reunited all three Deol men - Dharmendra, Sunny, and Bobby - in the successful 2007 family drama Apne. Sharma later returned to work with Sunny Deol in Singh Saab The Great (2013) and the highly anticipated Gadar 2 in 2023.
Reflecting on the unmade project, Sharma philosophically noted, "But due to some issue of producers, the film got shelved... but 'hoye vahi jo ram rach rakha' (what happens is up to God's wishes)." His revelation comes as the nation prays for the health improvement of the 89-year-old veteran actor, adding a poignant layer to this nostalgic look back at what might have been a landmark film in Dharmendra's illustrious career.
