Actor Dharmendra was very fond of ‘Puran Poli’, a popular dish in every household of Maharashtra and an incident related to it tells that top actors are not only great on screen, but they are also their own example in public life. Bollywood’s legendary He-Man Dharmendra was known for his powerful presence on the film screen as well as his humility, but he had one weakness – ghee-drenched Puran Poli. After Dharmendra’s demise on Monday, Shrikant Joshi, former member of Maharashtra Legislative Council from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, in a social media post recalled the day when Puran Poli became the center of a political maneuver.
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Dharmendra, the then Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Bikaner, was to attend an award distribution ceremony at Khamgaon in Buldhana district as the chief guest. However, the then BJP state president Pandurang Phundkar (Bhausaheb) wanted Dharmendra to arrive at the venue on time, for which Joshi was given the responsibility of keeping him at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar till noon. Joshi warmly welcomed Dharmendra. At his home, wife Kiran prepared a sumptuous breakfast including Sabudana Khichdi, Poha and Aloo Paratha.
Dharmendra had breakfast, but there were still three hours left. Then Joshi’s wife suggested introducing Puran Poli. Dharmendra’s eyes lit up with happiness and he said, Puran Poli is my weakness, I will definitely eat it.
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I didn’t realize how the time passed while eating Puran Poli and then getting photographs clicked with the journalists and family. When Joshi finally told him the truth about the delay, Dharmendra did not get angry. He said smilingly, when I entered politics I understood that my life was no longer my personal life; This belongs to the common people and you guys are also doing all this for the common people, right? So how can I be angry with you guys? This humility of Dharmendra impressed Joshi a lot.
Joshi felt that the grandeur of a true hero is not limited only to the film world, but his patience, humility and the values of giving importance to others are also the qualities of a true hero. ‘Puran Poli’ is a traditional sweet bread from Maharashtra, made with filling of gram dal and jaggery/sugar mixture (called Puran).