Dehradun, Nov. 25 -- I don't think Dharmendra was the finest actor I ever saw. If one were to speak of pure craft, of technique and depth, I would place Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Dilip Kumar, and Naseeruddin Shah above him. But cinema is not mathematics; it is alchemy. And in that magical space where charm, beauty, vulnerability, and star-power meet - Dharmendra stood in a league of his own.

In my lifetime, I have met three men whom I truly believe were among the most handsome to ever grace Indian screens: Shashi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, and Dharmendra. All three dazzled me in ways that go beyond description. And if someone were to put a gun to my head and ask me to choose only one - I would choose Dharmendra.

My memories with these...