India‘s hugely popular Bollywood star Dharmendra, who was equally at ease in romantic comedies and high-octane action blockbusters, died aged 89 on Monday.
“The passing of Dharmendra Ji marks the end of an era in Indian cinema,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on social media.
“He was an iconic film personality, a phenomenal actor who brought charm and depth to every role he played.”
The actor had not been well recently and was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai.
Over a remarkable six-decade career, Dharmendra appeared in more than 250 films, served as a member of parliament and was honoured with one of India’s highest civilian awards.
In the 1980s, Dharmendra starred in a string of action movies, earning him the nickname “He-Man”.
The most iconic role of his career was arguably the lovable rogue Veeru that he played in the 1975 classic “Sholay” (“Embers”), in which he played one half of a team of small-time thugs tasked with catching a bandit.
The film, which was released in 1975, has become part of Indian popular culture and Dharmendra’s dialogue from the film has influenced movies ever since. In recent years, it has become a meme.
The father of six also dabbled in production, with movies starring his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol.
His last film will be Sriram Raghavan’s “Ikkis” (“Twenty-one”) which is set for release next month.
From rural Punjab to Bollywood stardom
Born Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol in India’s northern state of Punjab in 1935, he grew up in a farming family and moved to Mumbai in the late 1950s after winning a talent show organised by a film magazine. His first film was released in 1960.
Known to his legion of fans by his first name, Dharmendra acted in more than 300 films in a career spanning more than six decades.
Dharmendra appeared in everything from arthouse films to soft romances, action films and goofy comedies, making him the top actor of his generation.
He married his first wife, Prakash Kaur, before he found fame. After starring alongside Hema Malini, Bollywood’s first woman superstar, in several films, he married her in 1980, without divorcing Prakash.
While their wedding ruffled many feathers, the controversy did little to dim his popularity. Fans continued to cheer for “Garam Dharam” (“Hot Dharam”) in theatres across India.
He was a lawmaker in the Indian parliament from 2004 to 2009.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)