Bollywood's 'Dharam Paaji', veteran actor Dharmendra passes away aged 89

MUMBAI: Indian acting legend Dharmendra passed away at his Mumbai residence on Monday after being in critical condition for weeks. He was 89. Dharmendra was discharged from Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital 12 days ago after recovering from a serious illness. He was admitted to the hospital in late October. Popular film director Karan Johar confirmed the news of the demise through a post on the social media platform X.

Dharmendra, who debuted in 1960, turned out to be a mainstay in the Bollywood industry and attained the title of a superstar through movies such as Sholay, Dharam Veer, Chupke Chupke, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, and Dream Girl.

Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur in 1954. They have two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, both of whom are also actors. Dharmendra married a second time to the Dream Girl Hema Malini. Their daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol, have also made their presence felt in Indian cinema.

In 2012, the nation honoured Dharmendra with the Padma Bhushan award for his invaluable contribution to the cinema industry.