New Delhi: Late actor Dharmendra will be seen playing freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai in Agniyug: The Fire, veteran actor and director Biswajeet Chatterjee has revealed. He also shared that the film could be Dharmendra’s final screen appearance.
Before Chatterjee’s conversation with ANI, Ikkis (2026) was widely reported to be Dharmendra’s last screen appearance. In the interview, Chatterjee recalled meeting Bobby Deol’s son, Aryaman Deol, at Dharmendra’s cremation, where he told him about the new film.
Dharmendra as Lala Lajpat Rai
“No one knows about it (Dharmendra in Agniyug). So, I went straight to his house from the cremation ground. Bobby’s son, Aryaman Deol, came and started crying. I showed him a photo and asked, ‘Do you recognise him?’ He said, ‘Yes, it’s Dadu.’ Dadu was in the same pose in the costume of Lala Lajpat Rai,” Chatterjee recalled.
Chatterjee said Bobby Deol was also present and agreed that the film could be Dharmendra’s last.
Chatterjee and Dharmendra had previously worked together on Kahtey Hain Mujhko Raja in 1975, which was directed and produced by Chatterjee and starred Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha and Rekha.
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Chatterjee convinced Dharmendra to return
Chatterjee said Dharmendra was initially reluctant to return to acting, but he convinced the actor to take up the role by appealing to his patriotism.
“He didn’t know what the role was. Then I told him that I came for this role because I had no one else in mind who could do better than you,” he told ANI.
Chatterjee also said Dharmendra was so passionate about the role that he insisted on performing his own stunts rather than using a body double.
“He was very enthusiastic. He rejected any stunt double. It charged us and everyone. He was a real Jaat,” he said.
The film’s announcement teaser was released in July, with the cast listed in its description as including Dharmendra, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Madhoo and Ganesh Venkatraman.
Dharmendra died in November 2025 at the age of 89.
Edited by Maryam Hassan