Reshma Pathan, famously known as the Sholay Girl and celebrated as India’s first stuntwoman, has opened up about one of the most memorable moments of her career—the day Dharmendra personally appreciated her courage with a Rs 100 note.
Reshma Pathan recalls the time Dharmendra gifted her Rs 100 after a daring stunt on Sholay set
In an interview with The Quint, Pathan recounted a harrowing incident from the sets of Sholay, during the sequence where Gabbar burns down the village of Ramgarh. Cast as a village girl, she was required to run behind a young child and pick her up as hundreds of horses thundered across the set. “During the shot, the girl fell down. There were about 300-400 horses around us… how could I have left her? It was about her life,” Pathan recalled.
Without hesitation, she shielded the child with her own body. “Pathan remembers instantly throwing herself over her and wrapping her arms around her. By the time, the horses came very close. I was scared too, but one needs to use presence of mind in such situations. I somehow managed to roll us out safely as the horses galloped past us.”
Impressed by her bravery, Dharmendra called her over after the scene. “He even gave me Rs 100—in those days, it was a big deal. I wasn’t taking it until Azimji told me I should. Dharamji spoke to me with a lot of respect,” she said. For Pathan, that note became a prized possession she held on to for nearly a decade. She only parted with it in 1984, during a period of financial hardship.
Reshma Pathan’s story is not just about one gesture of appreciation but about breaking barriers in a male-dominated industry. Starting her career at just 14, she went on to work in more than 400 films, often performing dangerous stunts for leading actresses like Hema Malini. Her journey from poverty and street stunts to Bollywood fame was filled with risks, injuries, and systemic challenges.
Yet moments like Dharmendra’s respect and recognition remain etched in her memory. For audiences, they serve as reminders of the unseen heroes behind Hindi cinema’s most iconic films.
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