Dharmendra Almost Became India’s ‘James Bond’ 39 Years Ago in Unreleased Film ‘Sher’, Reveals Anil Sharma

Bollywood veteran Dharmendra is reportedly in good health, and amidst this, director Anil Sharma has shared intriguing details about a film that never saw the light of day—‘Sher’, in which Dharmendra was set to play a James Bond-style spy role that could have shaken the world.

Known for his enduring presence on the big screen since the 1970s, Dharmendra has worked with numerous filmmakers and producers over the decades. Now, filmmaker Anil Sharma has revived memories of the unreleased movie ‘Sher’, dating back to 1986. Sharma shared the film’s poster, which features Dharmendra shirtless, holding a gun in a classic action pose.

Anil Sharma Remembers ‘Sher’

Anil Sharma, the director behind blockbuster hits like ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’, wrote on social media:

“The 1986 film ‘Sher’ was co-produced by an Indian and an international producer. It was a spy thriller and envisioned Dharmendra in a James Bond-esque role. Some action sequences and a song composed by L.P. were shot in Mumbai. Even today, I remember how captivating Dharmendra’s style was in this film.”

Sharma added:

“This film was on a completely different level for any Bollywood actor of that era.”

Why ‘Sher’ Was Never Released

Although shooting had begun, ‘Sher’ was ultimately never released. Instead, in 1987, Anil Sharma and Dharmendra teamed up for the film ‘Hukumat’, which went on to become a box-office hit. ‘Hukumat’ also starred Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Shammi Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Goga Kapoor, and Guddi Maruti.

About Anil Sharma

Hailing from Mathura, Anil Sharma started his career as an assistant director, working on films like ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’, ‘The Burning Train’, and ‘Insaaf Ka Tarazu’. He made his directorial debut in 1981 with ‘Shraddhanjali’ and later directed films such as ‘Bandhan Kacche Dhagon Ka’, ‘Hukumat’, and ‘Tehlka’.

This revelation offers Bollywood fans a fascinating glimpse into a “what could have been” moment, imagining Dharmendra as India’s original James Bond decades before spy thrillers became mainstream in the Hindi film industry.