Veteran actor Dharmendra, one of the most beloved and enduring stars of Indian cinema, passed away on Tuesday, November 11, at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. He was 89 years old. The actor, who was admitted for respiratory issues and was on ventilator support, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that spans over six decades – one that redefined valor and masculinity on the Hindi screen.

Born on December 8, 1935 in Sahnewal village near Ludhiana, Punjab, Dharmendra Kewal Krishna Deol was brought up far away from the glamor of Bombay. In many interviews over the years, Dharmendra often recalled his humble beginnings – a boy who would walk miles to school and daydream about films. He once said, “I was a boy of the soil who wanted to see himself on the screen.” filmfareAdding, “Even when success came, I always felt like the same village boy.”

She made her debut with ‘Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere’ (1960) after winning a talent competition. filmfare magazine. But recognition soon came with ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’ (1961) and ‘Bandini’ (1963). By the mid-60s, Dharmendra had begun his rise to become Hindi cinema’s quintessential leading man – a combination of brawn and striking charm. He went on to be a part of some of the most defining films of Indian cinema: ‘Phool Aur Patthar’ (1966), ‘Anupama’ (1966), ‘Satyakaam’ (1969), ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh’ (1971), ‘Sholay’ (1975), ‘Chupke Chupke’ (1975), and ‘Dream Girl’ (1977).

The media called him the “He-Man of Bollywood”, but this label was only partially accurate. Behind the bulging biceps and charming looks was an actor who brought rare empathy to his characters. In Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s ‘Anupamaa’, he played the role of an introspective writer who wins the heart of a reclusive woman with his quiet warmth. In ‘Satyakaam’, he was an idealist crushed under the burden of a corrupt world – a performance that critics still consider one of the best in Hindi cinema. And in ‘Sholay’, as Veeru, he immortalized friendship and romance with effortless grace.

In an old interview with The TribuneHe reflected, “I am just an ordinary actor (I am an ordinary actor)”, adding “The giver gave me everything as per his wish, just did not give me what I wanted (The Almighty gave me everything he wanted to give, but did not give what I asked for)”, when asked about his regrets in life. That worldly humility was no act – it was who Dharmendra really was.

If Dharmendra was the ideal action hero On screen, in love he was every bit the poet he admired. His romance with Indian cinema’s ‘Dream Girl’ Hema Malini became one of the most talked about love stories of Bollywood. Their chemistry first started on the sets of ‘Tum Haseen Main Jawaan’ (1970) and deepened through many films from ‘Sita Aur Geeta’ to ‘Sholay’. Despite social criticism for marrying a second time while still being married to his first wife Prakash Kaur, Dharmendra faced it with conviction.

He once said, “I never intentionally hurt anyone. I just followed my heart.” stardust In a 1983 interview. Hema also said in her memoir ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’, “He stood by me like a rock throughout the ordeal. He was and remains a man of immense strength and tenderness – a rare combination.”

Together, they built a life of deep collaboration and mutual respect, away from the glare of the cameras. His daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol, often spoke about their father – a man who wrote Poetry As for his wife, he remembered her favorite songs, and still called her “Meri Hema”. That love, steadfast and unabashed, was the poetry that ran beneath his He-Man persona.

Even off-screen, he remained refreshingly human in an industry that often confuses fame for divinity. He loved poetry, Poetry And the silence of his Lonavala farmhouse. Even in the late 80s, he would post videos of himself driving a tractor or taking care of crops, and urge his fans to live simply. In his last Instagram post on October 2, he sat on top of an e-cart and wished fans a happy Dussehra:

,Happy Dussehra to all the brothers, sisters and children. May God give you long health and happiness, may you remain virtuous. Then progress is progress(A very happy Dussehra to all my brothers and sisters, boys and girls. May God bless you with long life and happiness. Remain kind and righteous – and then, success will surely follow),” he said.

It was a fitting final message – from a man who was the epitome of goodness as well as glamour.

Dharmendra’s illustrious filmography is like a timeline of Hindi cinema itself: from black-and-white social dramas to multi-starrer films of the 70s, patriotic blockbusters like ‘Haqeeqat’ (1964) to comedies like ‘Chupke Chupke’ and action sagas like ‘The Burning Train’ (1980). Even in her later years, she continued to reinvent herself – in ‘Life in a Metro’ (2007), ‘Apne’ (2007), and ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’ (2024), where her cameos reminded audiences of her enduring charm.

Awards and honors have followed him over the years: Padma Bhushan in 2012, several lifetime achievement awards from international bodies including FICCI, MAMI and the State of New Jersey. In 2004, he briefly entered politics and served as a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Bikaner, Rajasthan. Yet, he never lost sight of the thing that mattered most to him – his audience. “My greatest reward,” he once said at an event, “is when a common man smiles lovingly at me.”

Dharmendra is survived by his wives Prakash Kaur and Hema Malini, sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol and daughters Esha Deol, Ahana Deol, Vijeta and Ajita.

His final film, ‘Ikkis’, directed by Sriram Raghavan and starring Agastya Nanda and Jaideep Ahlawat, among others, will be released posthumously this December – a war drama about courage and legacy, themes that defined Dharmendra’s life on and off the screen.

Earlier in a Doordarshan documentary, when asked how he would like to be remembered, Dharmendra smiled softly and said: “I love my country, my people – I just want to be remembered for that.”

Today, the He-Man of Bollywood rests, but his warmth, his humility and his golden-age charisma continue to resonate on every reel of Indian cinema.