Ashok Kumar, fondly called Dadamoni by his colleagues and friends in the film industry, had a rule of not working on January 1. But, he broke that rule of his life for the ‘He-man’ of Bollywood Dharmendra, on his special request. But his only condition was that everyone will come to the film’s set on time and won’t party on New Year’s Eve.
It so happened that during the shoot of the 1966 film Mamta in Kolkata, Dharmendra had to leave for Ladakh where he had to shoot for his film Haqeeqat. So, he requested Ashok Kumar to work on January 1 so that he could rech the set of his other film in time. Actor Annu Kapoor narrated the incident in his radio show, Suhaana Safar With Annu Kapoor.
Dada, please adjust kar lijiye mujhe Ladakh pohnchna hai (Please adjust, I have to reach Ladakh),” Dharmendra told Kumar. After much persuasion, Kumar agreed, but he put one condition, “Main tere liye apna rule todd raha hun, kal (January 1) time pe aa jaana set par. Aaj raat (31st) ki party mein mat ulajh jaana. Koi daaru nahi piyega (I am breaking my rule for me. So, make sure to reach the set on time tomorrow. Don’t party tonight and don’t get drunk).” Dharmendra agreed and went to his hotel.
The actor was ready to sleep but decided to take a look at the New Year celebrations that were going on at his hotel. Dressed in a kurta-lungi, he decided to have a look at the party taking place in the lobby but, people recognised him there and pulled him inside the party. They forced him to drink, and by the next morning, Dharmendra was drunk. “When the party got over, Dharam ji was drunk. He thought that if he would go to his hotel room now, he will not reach the set on time. That is when he decided to go and sleep in his makeup room at 4 in the morning,” Kapoor narrated. After Mamta, Dharmendra and Ashok Kumar collaborated on other films including the 1971 film Naya Zamana and the 1969 movie Satyakam.