The Indian film industry is in deep sorrow because one of their favorite veterans, actor Dharmendra died at the age of 89. He will be forever remembered as the ‘He-Man of India’, with a career spanning over 60 years, during which he enchanted the audience with his captivating presence and acting skills. His death doesn’t only mean the loss of a great person but also the closing of a chapter in Hindi cinema.
The passing of Dharmendra has created such an emptiness that it has been experienced all over the country. Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, has and expressed his feelings in a message in which he referred to Dharmendra as a great figure in the movies, and through this figure, the country’s cinema took its rise to a global platform. Countless people’s emotions were resonated by Modi’s words: “The whole era has come to an end with the demise of Dharmendra Ji. It was not just his acting, but his personal charm and the touch of his roles that prevailed in the industry.” President Droopadi Murmu joined their side, remarked his immense contributions and expressed her sorrow of his departure.
He was born Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol on December 8, 1935, in Punjab and he was one of the individuals who were not who started his heritage humble but his fate had a different reserved for him. His transition from the Nasrali village to the position of one of the nation’s most favorite actors has all more than less tale.
Shortly after the news of his demise broke, the various social media platforms became full of fan, actor, and politician tributes. Home Minister Amit Shah spoke and made mention of Dharmendra’s nationwide love and the fact that his work would forever inspire generations to come. The filmmaker Karan Johar via his Instagram affirmed that the loss of a “huge mega-star” and a genuine legend who would never be replaced.
Dharmendra lived through a long career that had him crowned with multiple awards, to name a few, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 and the Padma Bhushan in 2012. The time after the peak of his life was when he flawlessly took up roles with the film ‘Life in a… Metro’ as one of them, proving his everlasting charm and flexibility. His latest work that amazed the audience was the one happening in Karan Johar film, ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.’
Most people are not aware that Dharmendra was also a follower of the film industry, with him producing many movies that have remained evergreen, and a lawmaker in the country as well. His firm, Vijayta Films, released many films that were and still are landmarks of his career. The way he used to keep himself fit and the fact that he would never refuse to take fan photos while all of that were standard operating procedures added to his charm in the eyes of all age groups across the years.
The humanness and tenderness of Dharmendra, not only his movie accomplishments, are what gave him his place in the pantheon of the greats. He has got a family too, as he left us: Prakash Kaur and Hema Malini, two renowned ladies as his wives, and six children who are the first to the dignity of his saga.
During the most recent Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, a short moment of silence was held to commemorate actor Dharmendra as the “doyen of the film industry.” His star being dimmed is not only a devastating loss but also a mark of the passing of an era in Indian cinema. The actor was one of the reasons for the silver screen becoming a mode of entertainment for the masses; anything still remembered out of his movies will make people remember him only, and his name will be a synonym for the star in the heaven.
With the whole nation, including the politicians, media persons, social workers, and religious leaders paying homage to the departed soul, it can be seen that the actor’s impact was not limited to a certain area. The uniqueness of his character was that he was often seen as the common man on the screen and as the man who- as the dialogues he spoke or the roles he played became the most spoken about by the audience and he became the synonym of the star on the horizon.
Although we will see a lot of actors and actresses paying tributes, we know that Dharam put his art before himself and was the first one to encourage new artists.
