This man made Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, Kabir Bedi superstars, died in extreme poverty, name was…, Amitabh Bachchan was his…

The Hindi film industry has given us numerous evergreen heroes, who have entertained us throughout their careers with impeccable work. However, how can one forget this man who played a pivotal part in building the careers of some of the most prominent stars including, Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, Kabir Bedi, as well as, placing his faith in Amitabh Bachchan.

We are talking about none other than the legendary producer, director, writer and actor OP Ralhan who made and starred in several hit movies from 1960s to 1980s. He initially started his career as an actor, but soon transitioned to making films like Phool Aur Patthar, Talash, Bande Haath, Hulchul and more.

OP Ralhan introduced several new talents in his lifetime. His one of the biggest hits Phool Aur Patthar catapulted Dharmendra to success, because of his iconic shirtless scene in the movie. Following that, Dharmendra gained the title of Bollywood’s He-Man, and began receiving opportunities from every leading banner.

With Zeenat Aman too, the actress who became a star after Dev Anand’s Hare Rama Hare Krishna, was launched by OP Ralhan in his film Hulchul. Kabir Bedi, who was too launched in the same film as Zeenat, once recalled some fond memories working with Ralhan. He revealed how he refused to share the script with him when he cast him as an actor. “Arre, mujhe story puchega? Sharm nahi aati? Mane Dharmendra ko star banaya hai. Phool Aur Patthar dekhi hai? Mujhse story maangega? Sign kar. (You will ask me for a story? Don’t you have any shame? I turned Dharmendra into a star. Have you seen Phool Aur Patthar? Just sign).” Kabir laughed and recalled. In the same conversation with Filmfare, Kabir recalled OP Ralhan going through a distressful financial time towards the end of his last days.

Ralhan has been an instrumental figure in Amitabh Bachchan’s career too. During those days, Big B was praised for his punctuality, as many superstars were popular for arriving late to work, which used to discourage filmmakers for signing them.

One of the reasons why Amitabh Bachchan make sure to be on time at work was probably a lesson that he learnt when Ralhan “screamed” at him in front of everyone. The filmmaker, who was very particular about timings, once cancelled the shoot because Big B arrived 30 minutes late. Bachchan once shared in his blog, “Landed up half an hour late for the shoot at RK Studios for ‘Bandhe Haath’ .. OP Ralhan the director screamed reprimanded me and shut shop .. shoot cancelled and announced in the open to many listening on .. embarrassed beyond .. early lessons learnt.”

After a prolonged illness, OP Ralhan passed away in 1999, from cardiac arrest at the age of 74.

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