LEEDS:

Bollywood veteran Dharmendra is fed up of his most memorable dialogue from the blockbuster Sholay — “kuttey, kameene, main tera khoon pee jaoonga”. Now he refuses to repeat it despite requests.

A journalist from South Africa, here to cover the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards Weekend, begged the seasoned actor to deliver the line at a media session called to showcase his forthcoming venture Apne.

But much to the disappointment of the audience, Dharmendra refused, “I am fed up with this sentence. I have said so many other dialogues — why don’t you talk about them?” However he had something else to say: “Main khoon nahin peeta; main mohabbat peeta hun!” (I do not drink blood, but love!).

The actor, who plays a leading role in “Apne” due for release later this month along with his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, will be conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award here.

The actor sounded emotional during the media interaction, as he tried to explain his absence from the silver screen for several years. “I was driven away from the camera. There was no occasion, no story. Who wants to go away from the camera? I love my profession,” he said.

“I have been in the beloved film industry for the last 50 years. But now people like rat race. I don’t like rat race at all. Occasionally I roar, and this roar is heard. I wish we (the Deols) had learnt the tricks (of the trade); we would not have allowed anyone to go ahead of us. But we love everyone in the industry.

“All these years, awards were not given to me, or I did not receive them. But I am going to accept this one (Lifetime Achievement). Awards last for only two years. I will have to work for another award after two years.”