Dharmendra: The He-Man Who Conquered Hearts

There is not a single star in the history of Indian cinema who could have created the same impression on the audience like Dharmendra did.

Born to a modest peasant family on December 8, 1935 in the small village of Nasrali in the Ludhiana district of Punjab, he grew up in the humble village of Nasrali, to be Bollywood iconic He-Man a name that was given to him due to his rugged masculinity, warmth and presence onscreen.

During his more than sixty-year career, he starred in over 300 films, contributing to the revitalization of the genre of action and being equally successful in romance and dramas. On November 24, 2025, Dharmendra died in Mumbai, at the age of 89, due to age-related health complications.

With the touching words of coworkers and supporters still streaming in, the life story of this man is a wonderful story of perseverance, dedication, and eternal allure.

Roots in the Soil: Early Life and the Call of the Silver Screen

Dharmendra was born with the most strongly Punjabi background, deep-rooted in the fertile fields and simple virtues of the Indian countryside. He was the son of Kewal Krishan Deol, a village school headmaster, and Satwant Kaur and was brought up in a Jat family in Sahnewal, his lineage goes back to the village of Dangon, near Pakhowal. Life was simple, and the education was at the Government Senior Secondary School in Lalton Kalan, Ludhiana, where the small Dharmendra developed a passion of poetry and narrating stories. In 1952 he matriculated at Phagwara, where he studied at Ramgarhia College and Panjab University at Chandigarh, although he never quite took to books again.

The 1950s were a time of flux. In 1955, his victory in a New Talent contest organized by Filmfare magazine brought him to Mumbai, the Indian dream industry. It was followed by a tough interlude: odd jobs as a bus conductor, waiter and even a fitness trainer kept him going knocking on the door of producers. In 1960, his perseverance was rewarded and he made a debut with the romantic drama Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere under the direction of Arjun Hingorani. The movie was a commercial disaster but it was the debut of a new star handsome, earnest, eyes with unspoken desires.

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Blossoming into Stardom: The 1960s and Romantic Dawn

The rise of Dharmendra was very fast and by chance. His debut hit came in 1961 with Shola Aur Shabnam, a tragic love story which brought out the emotional depth in him. Towards the latter half of 1962, he became romantically positioned by being paired with the radiant Mala Sinha. However, the critical acclaim was received by the Bandini (1963) by Bimal Roy a heartrending prison-drama featuring Nutan which won the National Film Award in the category of Best Feature Film in Hindi. The machismo was underpinned by a weakness because of the conflicted doctor being played out by Dharmendra.

His popularity was cemented in the middle of the 1960s. In Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964) he appears as an antagonist to Asha Parekh, and despite the superhit, he receives a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category at the Filmfare Awards. His war epic Haqeeqat (1964) on the Sino-Indian conflict made him immortal with the soul-rousing Kar Chale Hum Fida. However, it was Phool Aur Patthar (1966) that changed all that, a rags to riches saga with Meena Kumari, the film was a blockbuster as it topped the box office and earned Dharmendra his first nomination in the Best Actor category. He suddenly became the new Bollywood heartthrob with his sensitivity and simmering intensity.

The He-Man Era: Action, Anthems, and All-Time Blockbusters

Dharmendra became the Action King of the 1970s, and the Hindi cinema was no longer a melodrama, it was a masala spectacle. The rustic revenge thriller Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971), was an All-Time Blockbuster, and surpassed other films of the time, as well as industry trends, to land in action in the countryside. It was directed by Raj Khosla, with Vinod Khanna being his sidekick, but Dharmendra as bandit-hunter Shankar stealing the show.

This golden phase was characterized by collaborations. He starred in the blockbusters Hema Malini, his on-screen (and offscreen) muse, in Seeta Aur Geeta (1972)- a body-swap comedy that was a superhit, and in Raja Jani (1972). His first masala film, Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), brought him back together with Tariq and the legendary "Chura Liya Hai Tumne." However, his greatest work was But Sholay (1975). As the bad boy dacoit Veeru with Amitabh Bachan as Jai, in the epic Western of Ramesh Sippy, Dharmendra gave quotations, stunts that lasted three years in the theatres - 60 golden jubilees, the highest-grossing Hindi film to date, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994).

The hits continued: Loafer (1973) with Mumtaz, Jugnu (1973), Dost (1974), Pratiggya (1975), Charas (1976) about the Uganda crisis, and Dharam Veer (1977) a mythological actioner with Jeetendra as his brother, sold 32 million tickets in the Soviet Union alone. Chacha Bhatija (1978) introduced the element of the comic. By the end of the decade, Dharmendra led Box Office India with four consecutive years (1972-1975) of 74 hits, six blockbusters, and seven superhits to his name, and these figures have never been matched with other actors.

The 80s were a mixture of action and experiment. The cult film The Burning Train (1980), a thriller/disaster film, had low returns. He was paired with Amitabh by Ram Balram (1980) and fans were kept hooked by Rajput (1982) and Ghazab (1982). His biggest earner of the decade was Hukumat (1987), and the physically lasting aspect was demonstrated in Khatron Ke Khiladi (1988), which was based on the movie First Blood.

Twilight Years: From Leads to Legends

As the 1990s dawned, age tempered his heroism. Naakabandi (1990) and Tahalka (1992) were his last lead hits, but Dharmendra pivoted gracefully to character roles. Producing Betaab (1983) launched Sunny Deol, and Ghayal (1991) won him a Filmfare Best Film award. The millennium brought family ventures: Apne (2007), a boxing drama with his sons, was a critical success. Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011) reunited the Deol trio in comedy gold. Even in his 80s, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023) – a Karan Johar rom-com – earned a National Film Award for Best Popular Film, grossing ₹3.5 billion worldwide. His final bow, the war drama Ikkis (2025) on hero Arun Khetarpal, released posthumously with grandson Agastya Nanda.

Beyond Hindi, he dabbled in Bengali (Paari, 1966) and Punjabi (Kankan De Ohle, 1970; Double Di Trouble, 2014), amassing over 300 credits.

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A Heart Divided, A Family United: Personal Tapestry

Dharmendra's personal life mirrored his films' drama. At 19, in 1954, he wed childhood sweetheart Prakash Kaur, begetting sons Sunny (b. 1956, actor) and Bobby (b. 1969, actor), and daughters Vijeta (b. 1962) and Ajeeta (b. 1966). Fame complicated matters; his 1970s romance with Hema Malini, sparked on Tum Haseen Main Jawan, led to a controversial second marriage in 1980. Rumors of conversion to Islam were quashed – it was an Arya Samaj ceremony preserving his Hindu faith. With Hema, he had Esha and Ahana. The blended family, now 13 grandchildren strong (including namesake Dharam), resides in Juhu's sea-facing haven and a Lonavala farmhouse. In 2023, he lamented Bollywood's oversight of the Deols' legacy, yet his warmth endured – a poet at heart, reciting verses amid family barbecues.

Accolades: A Crown Well-Earned

Honors flowed: Filmfare nominations for Phool Aur Patthar (1967), Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1972), and more; Best Comedian for Naukar Biwi Ka (1984); Lifetime Achievement (1997). The Padma Bhushan (2012) and New Jersey award (2020) capped his contributions. Sholay was voted Filmfare's Best Film of 50 Years (2005).

Farewell to a Titan: Death and Eternal Echoes

Dharmendra's health faltered in his twilight: back pain (2015–2020), a 2025 corneal transplant, and respiratory woes leading to ventilator support on November 10. Discharged briefly from Breach Candy Hospital, false death rumors on November 11 were debunked by Hema and Esha. Yet, on this poignant date – 90th birthday eve – he slipped away at home, survived by his wives, children, and a grieving nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed him as a "cultural icon," while Karan Johar mourned an "end of an era." Funerals drew stars like Amitabh Bachchan, who called him a "Greek god." Dharmendra was an eternal star in a business of super stars, a He-Man whose heartbeat was the movie, family and the everlasting magic of the silver screen