One of the most popular actors of the early 1970s, Anil Dhawan resurfaced in Sriram Raghavan's thriller Andhadhun. The 72-year-old actor played yesteryear star Pramod Sinha who loves watching his old movie hits till something ghastly happens to him. Andhadhun brought back many memories about the actor whose hit songs Yeh Jeevan Hai from Piya Ka Ghar (1972) and Teri Galiyon Mein from Hawas (1974) were part of the movie's background score.

In the well-received suspense thriller Andhadhun, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu, the celluloid star of the 1970s Anil Dhawan is cast as a superstar of yesteryears who is bumped off by his wife. Anil who had a very successful inning in the 70s can’t believe the popularity that Andhadhun has brought him. “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since Friday. I am giving interviews in a loop. I keep asking myself, what is going on? All I know is, I am happy a new generation has discovered me,” says Anil who is Varun Dhawan’s uncle.

The star of the 1970s who featured in such path-breaking hits as B R Ishara’s Chetna, Basu Chatterjee’s Piya Ka Ghar, Asit Sen’s Annadata and many other hits, says he is proud that Andhadhun has opened well in spite of no major star in the film. “Andhadhun doesn’t star my nephew (A-list star) Varun. It stars Ayushmann Khurrana. And still, it is being widely appreciated. It just goes to show the audience will embrace good content no matter who the actors.”

Why is Anil not seen in his brother David Dhawan’s films? “That’s a good question. I ’ve worked with David in Hero No 1 and Rascals where the role suited me. Otherwise, I don’t fit into them. I can’t see myself doing the comedy that my brother makes. It wouldn’t suit my personality. In my heydays, I had a very sober romantic image. This is why I withdrew from film acting when the action era arrived. I’d have looked ridiculous fighting a bunch of goons.”

Anil looks back with much joy at his brief stint with stardom. “It was a terrific inning. Sadly a journalist recently wrote about me recently mentioning some odd horror films like Darwaza and forgetting that I’ve worked with some of the best directors like B R Ishara, Basu Chatterjee and Asit Sen. I did trendsetting films. How can you forget all of this and write only about some horror films?”

There is one more reason why Andhadhun is special to Anil Dhawan. “I had shot my first film Chetna in the city of Pune and now Andhadhun was also shot in Pun. Chetna was considered a film way ahead of its time. Andhadhun is also very bold. So in many ways this is a homecoming for me.”

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