Dharmendra’s last rites: Hema Malini, Esha Deol, Salman Khan pay last tribute to Bollywood’s ‘He-Man’ New Delhi: ‘Bollywood’s He-Man’ has passed away at the age of 89. Earlier this month, there was a wave of mourning across the country after the veteran actor was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, where several Bollywood celebrities including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aryan Khan and Govinda met the iconic actor.
The actor was later discharged and returned home to continue his recovery. However, it has now been confirmed that Dharmendra has passed away.
The ambulance left for Dharmendra’s Juhu residence, after which security was tightened at Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai. Although the family has not released any official statement yet, their daughter Esha Deol and Hema Malini were seen arriving at the cremation ground.
Many videos of the actress are surfacing on social media, where she is seen getting out of her car and crossing the road to reach the crematorium. To avoid the paparazzi, she was seen covering her face with her dupatta.
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, wearing a white kurta, was also seen reaching the cremation ground. Soon after, Dharmendra’s Sholay co-star Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan were spotted. Actors Sanjay Dutt, Zayed Khan, Salman Khan and producer Siddharth Roy Kapur were also photographed at the location along with the late actor’s family.
Dharmendra’s film career
Dharmendra was one of Bollywood’s most enduring and beloved stars. Born in Punjab in 1935, he began his film career in the early 1960s after being discovered through a nationwide talent search. In the late 1950s, Filmfare magazine, in association with Bimal Roy Productions, organized a competition to find new faces for Hindi cinema.
Dharmendra participated in the competition and was chosen the winner in 1958 for his good looks and natural charm. This victory opened the doors of the film industry for him. The same talent hunt later discovered Rajesh Khanna, one of the biggest superstars of Hindi cinema.
Dharmendra quickly rose to fame with his charismatic looks, emotional depth and effortless screen presence. His versatility has allowed him to shine in romance, action and comedy. Some of his most iconic films include Phool Aur Patthar, which established him as a leading man, and Sholay, where his portrayal of the witty and lovable Veeru became famous.
Dharmendra was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award.