Mumbai, November 24, 2025: Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra Deol, one of Indian cinema’s most beloved stars and a defining action hero of the 1960s and 1970s, passed away in Mumbai on Monday at the age of 89, Indian media reported.
Local reports said the actor had been unwell for the past month and died at his residence. His family has not yet issued an official statement.
Dharmendra, affectionately known simply as “Dharam” to millions of fans, is survived by his two wives, Prakash Kaur and actress Hema Malini, and six children, including actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.
Several leading figures from the Indian film industry, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, gathered at a crematorium in Juhu for Dharmendra’s funeral on Monday afternoon.
Paying tribute on social media, filmmaker Karan Johar, who cast the actor in his 2023 film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, called him “a massive megastar, the embodiment of a hero in mainstream cinema”.
Actors Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, and others also remembered the legendary star, praising his warmth, humility, and unmatched screen presence.
Born as Dharam Singh Deol in Punjab’s Ludhiana district in 1935, Dharmendra rose to prominence after winning a talent contest organised by Filmfare magazine, which brought him to Mumbai. He made his debut in 1960 with Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere.
Over a prolific career spanning more than 300 films, Dharmendra appeared in an extraordinary range of genres — from romantic dramas and comedies to high-voltage action flicks — earning him the title “He-Man of Bollywood”.
His performances in films such as Sholay (1975), Phool Aur Patthar (1966), Satyakam (1969), Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Dost (1974), and Chupke Chupke (1975) remain iconic.
His portrayal of the affable and daring Veeru in Sholay became one of the most memorable characters in Indian cinema, with his dialogues continuing to inspire pop culture and internet memes decades later.
He was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 and received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in 2012.
Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur before entering films. His on-screen chemistry with Hema Malini turned into a real-life romance, and the two married in 1980 without his first divorce, a story widely discussed in Indian media for decades.
Beyond cinema, Dharmendra briefly entered politics and served as a Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2009, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Rajasthan’s Bikaner constituency.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and several chief ministers and political leaders expressed condolences.
“He was an iconic film personality, a phenomenal actor who brought charm and depth to every role he played,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
President Murmu called his death “a huge loss to Indian art and cinema”.
Fans gathered outside his residence and at his native village in Punjab to mourn the loss of the star many described as “the last of Bollywood’s original giants”.
