The media's vocabulary may have changed from handsome to hot but Dharmendra retains his impish innocence and charm. Malleable is not the word for this original macho man of the Hindi film industry. Completely natural, is what they call it these days. Be it acting or life I have followed my heart. I feel my mind and heart are inseparable. There is no method, everything natural. But his greatest inspiration, Dilip Kumar, is considered the biggest of method actors. He used to lend soul to method acting. Like Marlon Brando. Watch him (Dilip Kumar) in Gunga Jumna' and Sagina Mahato'. Even if you are spontaneous, you have to understand what the director has in mind, what is his vision. I am thankful to great directors like Bimal Roy, Dulal Guha and Asit Sen, who nurtured me to do my own thing when I was nobodythe number of takes they allowed me in films like Bandini' and Chand Aur Suraj' to get it right. They are equally responsible for my success as Arjun Hingorani and Pramod Chakravarty, says the 75-year-old actor, who was in New Delhi to promote his latest venture Yamla Pagla Deewana. A delicious mix of a romantic hero and an action star with a flair for comedy, Dharmendra didn't get enough credit for his acting chops. No awards, little critical acclaim. Does he consider the industry has not been kind to his softer, serious side? Not really. Satyakam' had my money. When it didn't do commercially well, I went by my popular image and the next film we produced was Pratigya', which proved to be a blockbuster. Coming from a village, I always had that commercial success at the back of my mind. But directors like Hrishikesh Mukherjee kept testing me and I was always available for them. As for the image you have to manage it. I feel a friendly talk with a journalist is enough. As a producer he has given big breaks to the likes of Raj Kumar Santoshi and Imtiaz Ali but they moved out of Vijeta Films banner. Dharmendra says the industry is increasingly getting opportunist while he still considers it a family. I don't believe in controlling people. We have little business sense. My sons feel that I believe people easily but this has been the case from the beginning and it has not failed me. Apart from O.P. Ralhan, I had a great relationship with all my directors all through their careers. Log haath badhaate hain mein gale laga leta hoon, log gale lagate hain mein dil mein basa leta hoon
