There was a time when even a confident filmmaker like Subhash Ghai felt a knot in his stomach at the mere thought of directing Dilip Kumar, and the veteran director recently opened up about exactly why that was the case.
The confession on a television show
Ghai appeared as a guest on Kishore Ajwani's show 'Kahke Rahega Kehne Wala'. When the host asked which star could possibly be bigger than Dilip Kumar, Ghai said he had worked with the actor on three films and learned a great deal from him every single time. The host then pressed further, asking whether Ghai ever felt nervous while directing Dilip Kumar. Without any hesitation, Ghai admitted that yes, in the beginning, he genuinely used to feel scared, simply because he was standing in front of such a towering name in Indian cinema.
A blunt question on the sets of 'Vidhaata'
Ghai recalled that while making the film 'Vidhaata', he mustered the courage to directly ask Dilip Kumar, "I've heard you interfere a lot?" The people around him on the set immediately jumped in, reminding him that he was a young, new-age director, essentially a Gen-Z figure in today's terms, and warning him, "you'll flare up anywhere." They then asked him plainly who would actually direct 'Vidhaata', Ghai himself or Dilip Kumar. It must have been an uncomfortable moment for Ghai, caught between his own doubt and the presence of an actor of Dilip Kumar's stature.
Dilip Kumar's answer changed everything
Instead of getting offended by the blunt question, Dilip Kumar burst out laughing. He replied with great warmth, "You will direct, I won't direct, I will only act." According to Ghai, that single exchange dissolved every bit of hesitation and fear between them for good. The two went on to make three back-to-back superhit films together, and on every one of those sets, Dilip Kumar followed his director's instructions like an obedient child, working with complete humility despite being one of the biggest stars in the industry.
Two giants of Indian cinema
Subhash Ghai is known in Bollywood as the 'Showman', the filmmaker behind cult hits like 'Karz', 'Ram Lakhan' and 'Khalnayak'. Dilip Kumar, meanwhile, remains counted among the greatest actors Indian cinema has ever produced. This charming anecdote from the 'Vidhaata' set continues to win over fans even today, showing how two artists from very different generations could go on to work together for years with mutual respect and openness once the initial hesitation was broken.
