Bollywood legend Dharmendra passes away at 89
India mourns the passing of Bollywood legend Dharmendra, who died on Monday at the age of 89 after a prolonged illness.
The veteran actor, widely known as Dharam Paaji, passed away at his Mumbai residence after battling respiratory complications.
His last rites will take place at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai, attended by family and actors Hema Malini, Esha Deol, and others.
Earlier this month, Dharmendra had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital following breathing difficulties.
He remained under treatment for several days before being discharged on 12 November.
Upon returning home, the Deol family issued a statement requesting privacy and thanking fans and media for their prayers, urging the public to avoid speculation.
Despite medical care and family support, the actor could not recover from his complications, just weeks before his 90th birthday on 8 December.
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Born in 1935, Dharmendra made his film debut in 1960 and went on to act in over 300 films, earning acclaim across genres including romance, action, and drama.
He became an iconic figure in Hindi cinema, with standout roles in films such as Sholay, Phool Aur Patthar, Seeta Aur Geeta, Chupke Chupke, Hukumat, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, and The Burning Train.
In the later phase of his career, Dharmendra earned praise for performances in films including Life in a… Metro, Apne, Johnny Gaddaar, Yamla Pagla Deewana, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani.
His final film, Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan, features him as the grandfather of Agastya Nanda.
Dharmendra received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 and was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2012 for his contributions to Indian cinema.
He is survived by his wife Hema Malini, his first wife Prakash Kaur, sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, and daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.
