Dharmendra Old Remark On Telling Amitabh, 'Mera Jai Bulaye Mei Na Aau' Goes Viral Amid His Demise

Bollywood's 'He Man' Dharmendra passed away at the age of 89 on November 23, 2025. The actor was best known for playing the role of 'Veeru' in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, while Amitabh Bachchan essayed the role of 'Jai' in the 1975 cult classic movie. Amitabh was seen at Pawan Hans Crematorium offering his last respects to 'Veeru'. Now, an old video showcasing Amitabh and Dharmendra's friendship went viral, where the late actor was fondly calling Big B as 'Mera Jai'.

Dharmendra's old remark on fondly calling Amitabh Bachchan 'Mera Jai' goes viral

For the unversed, Amitabh Bachchan's role as 'Jai' was initially given to Shatrughan Sinha, but then it went to Big B. Reportedly, Dharmendra had come on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati, where Amitabh was the host. As seen in the clip, Dharmendra was seen holding Amitabh's shoulder in the video call, telling him, 'Kaise hoh Jay' to which Amitabh said, ''Mei bass aapke bina bahut viraan mehsoos kar raha tha." The next part of the video showed Sholay's 'Veeru' in front of his 'Jai,' and he said:

"Mera Jay mujhe bulaye aur mei na aau Yeh dosti hum har giz nai todenge."

In another clip, Dharmendra was seen calling Amitabh his 'chota bhai' and praying to the almighty that his 'Jai' has a long life, and also called him 'Jee jaan se pyaara hai'. Earlier, in an interview with the Screen, Dharmendra had shared of how he had helped Big B in getting the role of 'Jai'. The 'He-Man' shared that it was earlier mentioned that the actor had given Amitabh's recommendation to Ramesh Sippy. Dharmendra had shared:

"Yes, I recommended him. Mai to kehta nahi maine unko (Amitabh Bachchan) role dilaya. Ye mujhe milne aate the Amitabh sahab. He used to sit next to me. To maine Ramesh Sippy ji ko kaha yeh naya ladka hai usko awaaz se to lagta hai bahut acha kaam karega. Unki jo andar se chahna thi. Jo khud se pyar karne ki khoobsurati thi vo achi lagi..maine kaha inko lelo."

Dharmendra was offered to play the role of 'Thakur' in Sholay

For the unversed, Dharmendra earlier shared in an interview with IANS that he was given the role of 'Thakur' and even 'Gabbar Singh'. However, the actor stated that he knew what he wanted and that the role of 'Veeru' was made for him. Dharmendra's instincts had paid off and 'Veeru' became one of the most loved and charismatic lead characters in the history of Hindi cinema.

Speaking of the cult classic film, Sholay, it was directed by Ramesh Sippy, while Salim-Javed had written the same. The film had the art of blending every genre into a full-on masterclass in storytelling. Sholay had the dash of romance, action, revenge, and comedy along with R.D. Burman's unforgettable music score. The stellar cast, apart from Amitabh and Dharmendra, had Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, and Amjad Khan. 'Jai' and 'Veeru's true friendship bond became the epitome of the movie, and Hema Malini as 'Basanti' ruled the hearts of all.

More about Sholay's 'Veeru' a.k.a Dharmendra

Dharmendra was in the movie industry for more than six decades. Apart from Sholay, his noteworthy performances include Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Phool Aur Patthar, Aaye Din Bahar Ke, Seeta Aur Geeta, Raja Jani, Jugnu, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Dost, Pratiggya, Charas, Dharam Veer, to name a few.

Watch the full video here.

Sholay's 'Jai' a.k.a Amitabh Bachchan is surely missing his 'Veeru'. Rest well, Dharmendra.

Also Read: Dharmendra's 'Ikkis' Co-Star Recalls His Health While Shooting With Him 'He Couldn't Stand Up..'

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)