Ikkis choreographer recalls Dharmendra shooting dance sequence despite discomfort: ‘Getting up was also difficult’

DHarmendra’s last take, Ikkis, was released on the swelled screens on jan 1, with the team up fondly sharing several anecdotes from their time working with the late actor. Now, choreographer Vijay Ganguly has recalled that Dharmendra was experiencing some difficulty standing, yet he gathered the strength to get up and perform a few dance steps for a scene at 3 am.Choreographer recalls Dharmendra’s struggleDuring an interview with Pinkvilla, Vijay recalled that they were shooting a qawwali sequence that was set during his character’s college reunion.Looking back, Vijay said, “It was around 2:30-3 am. We told him that he had to dance just a little bit and he could do whatever he was comfortable with but he asked what the others were doing. We showed him that the other boys were doing a leg step while holding each other by their shoulders. He asked, ‘Why can I not do this?’”Vijay shared that the team was mindful of not wanting the veteran actor to overexert himself, so they requested him to take it easy, move around a little, and simply enjoy the music, but he remained insistent on giving it his all.“He insisted on doing the steps. He was sitting because for him, getting up again and again was also a little difficult… He got up and he did it. Eventually, we told him not to do it because if we have many retakes, it would be physically exhausting for him. And honestly, dancing at that point was not very important for his character but for him personally, his thought was that he has to give his 100 percent. He was also feeling like no one should think that he can’t do it so he showed that he could. We were like, ‘Wow, this is fantastic’,” he added.Vijay went on to reveal that Dharmendra even asked for the song’s lyrics and volunteered to memorise them in case lip-syncing was needed. Vijay shared that the late veteran actor was very eager to give his 100 percent to the film.Dharmendra's deathDharmendra died on November 24 last year, days before his 90th birthday on December 8. The actor was discharged from Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital earlier in November and was recuperating at home. He was cremated in Mumbai on November 25.His final film, Ikkis, was released in theatres on January 1. Helmed by Sriram Raghavan, the film features Agastya Nanda in the lead role, along with Jaideep Ahlawat and Simar Bhatia in key roles. The film revolves around the bravery and sacrifice of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. It received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.