‘End of an Era in Indian Cinema’: Leaders, B-town mourn veteran actor’s demise
Dharmendra, the star who wrote himself into showbiz legend in a 65-year career spanning 300 films ranging from Satyakam to Sholay, died here on Monday, police said here. He was 89.
There was no confirmation from the family.
The actor, who would have turned 90 on December 8, was not keeping well for a while and was in and out of a Mumbai hospital with the family finally deciding to continue his treatment at home earlier this month.
A police statement said Dharmendra died on Monday morning and funeral arrangements are being made at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Ville Parle suburb of Mumbai.
An ambulance and several cars left Dharmendra’s Juhu residence and Hema Malini, Esha Deol, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan were seen at the crematorium.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Dharmendra, saying his death marks ‘the end of an era in Indian cinema’. ‘The passing of Dharmendra Ji marks the end of an era in Indian cinema. He was an iconic film personality, a phenomenal actor who brought charm and depth to every role he played. The manner in which he played diverse roles struck a chord with countless people.
‘Dharmendra Ji was equally admired for his simplicity, humility and warmth. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with his family, friends and innumerable fans. Om Shanti,’ PM Modi posted on X.
President Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, several Union ministers including Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and leaders of opposition in both houses of Parliament, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, besides several chief ministers, expressed condolences.
Industry colleagues Amitabh Bachchan and son Abhishek Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and his father Salim Khan, were spotted at the crematorium.
Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff and Shabana Azmi, Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra, Shamita Shetty also attended the last rites.
Condolences also poured in from across the film industry, with celebrities such as Saira Banu, Sharmila Tagore, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor mourning the death of the actor fondly known as ‘Garam Dharam’ and India’s first ‘He Man’.
‘He was just different. He never forgot his roots and he would talk about it openly. He was, as they say, a man of the earth and he remained very close to his real self… I didn’t see any change in him with stardom and popularity,” Tagore, who worked with Dharmendra in classics such as Satyakam and Chupke Chupke, told PTI.
Banu, who also worked with Dharmendra on several movies including Aayee Milan Ki Bela, Jwaar Bhaata and Resham Ki Dori, said she spoke to the actor earlier this month and he told her not to worry and he will come and visit her soon.
Sanjay Khan, Rekha and actor Zayed Khan visited superstar Dharmendra’s house.
Many celebrities including Shatrughan Sinha, Karan Johar, Kajol, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor and others mourned the actor’s death on social media. ‘It is an end of an ERA… a massive mega star. the embodiment of a HERO in mainstream cinema. incredibly handsome and the most enigmatic screen presence . he is and will always be a bonafide Legend of Indian Cinema. defining and richly present in the pages of cinema history . but mostly he was the best human being. he was so loved by everyone in our industry,’ Karan wrote in a post on X.
Kajol shared a post of her son Yug and the late actor, ‘The OG of the Good Man is gone and the world is poorer for it.. somehow it seems like we are only losing the good people in it. Kind to the core and loved always . RIP Dharamji .. with love always,’ she wrote on Instagram. Dharmendra, born Dharam Singh Deol in Punjab in 1935, enjoyed a remarkable six-decade career. He was widely celebrated for his versatility across action, romance and comedy. Dharmendra is survived by his wife Prakash Kaur, Hema Malini, sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, and daughters Vijeta, Ajeeta, Esha and Ahana. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2012.
Dharmendra remained active till the very end and fans would get to see his performance one last time in Sriram Raghavan-directed Ikkis. (Agencies)
