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5 Films Together
5 films·1992–1997·Top co-star: Tiku Talsania (2 films)

Dharmendra & Mukesh Khanna Movies Together List — 5 Films

Complete Movies List & Collaboration History

Last updated: 2026-06-03 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB

Dharmendra and Mukesh Khanna appeared together in 5 Hindi films between 1992 and 1997. Their highest-rated collaboration was Smuggler (1996 — 4.9/10). Films span Tahalka (1992) through Agni Morcha (1997).

5
Films Together
4.3
Average Rating
1992 - 1997
Career Span
Hindi
Primary Language
Credibility
Career Phase
Active×Active

The Dharmendra & Mukesh Khanna partnership

Between 1992 and 1997, they barely worked apart — 5 films in 5 years. For 5 years, a Dharmendra–Mukesh film arrived almost every year. They saved their best for last — Smuggler (4.9/10) came 4 years in.

From Tahalka (1992) to Agni Morcha (1997). The spanned closed with Agni Morcha in 1997.

The shape of the work

Dharmendra acted in every film; Mukesh Khanna acted in all of them. Strictly Hindi cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

  • During the shoot of Smuggler (1996), Dharmendra would cook mutton curry for the entire crew every Sunday. Mukesh Khanna once joked that he signed the film just for those meals.
  • Dharmendra personally recommended Mukesh Khanna for the lead in Tahalka (1992) after the director struggled to find a villain who could match his screen presence. Khanna later said that call changed his career.
  • In Veer (1995), Dharmendra insisted on doing all the hand-to-hand combat scenes with Mukesh Khanna without a stunt double. Khanna later admitted he had to train for two extra weeks just to keep up with Dharmendra's speed.
  • Mukesh Khanna said in a 2018 interview: 'Dharamji never treated me like a junior artist. He would rehearse with me for hours before a fight scene, even when he had a fever. That's why our hits worked.'
  • Their pairing in Agni Morcha (1997) directly inspired the villain-hero dynamic in the TV series Shaktimaan — Mukesh Khanna later admitted he modeled the show's antagonist 'Kilvish' on the energy he shared with Dharmendra in that film.
  • In Tahalka (1992), Dharmendra deliberately slowed down his dialogue delivery in their confrontation scene so Mukesh Khanna's louder, theatrical style would pop. Khanna called it 'the most generous acting lesson I ever got.'

5 films across 1 decade

1990s
Films5
Avg Rating4.3/10
Notable:
  • Smuggler(4.9)
  • Agni Morcha(4.2)
Era:
Dharmendra: ActiveMukesh: Active

The partnership in numbers

Partnership Pattern

Duration19921997
Span5 years
Avg Interval~1 years

5 films across 5 years represents consistent collaboration.

Language Distribution

Hindi
5 films (100%)

Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Hindi being their primary medium.

Where each was in their career

When they first worked together, Dharmendra had 79 films behind them; Mukesh Khanna had 4. After Agni Morcha, Dharmendra kept going for 33 more films; Mukesh Khanna stepped back.

Dharmendra

Before Tahalka, Dharmendra had starred in 79 films, including Sher Dil (1990) and Cinema Cinema (1979).

After Agni Morcha, Dharmendra went on to appear in 33 more films, including Johnny Gaddar (2007) and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023).

Mukesh Khanna

Before Tahalka, Mukesh Khanna had starred in 4 films, including Saudagar (1991) and Saugandh (1991).

After Agni Morcha, Mukesh Khanna went on to appear in 8 more films, including Hera Pheri (2000) and Hanuman (2005).

Frequently asked questions