India’s beloved screen icon Dharmendra—known across generations as Bollywood’s original “He-Man”—spent more than sixty years building a legacy that blended raw charisma, quiet vulnerability and unforgettable on-screen presence. He appeared in over 250 films, becoming one of the industry’s most enduring stars.
Born Dharam Singh Deol on December 8, 1935, in rural Punjab, he rose from humble beginnings to national fame. In 1958, after winning a talent contest run by a popular film magazine, he boarded a train to Mumbai with little more than ambition. “I only had my dreams,” he recalled to his biographer Rajiv Vijayakar. “I was an untutored villager, with no idea of acting.”
His striking looks and earnest screen presence quickly caught the attention of filmmakers. He debuted in 1960 with Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere, but it was the 1966 drama Phool Aur Patthar that turned him into a phenomenon. When he appeared shirtless in the film—a first for a Hindi movie hero—audiences were electrified. According to the Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema, that single scene made filmmakers realise “the need to cater to female sexuality,” and Dharmendra soon found himself flooded with fan mail.
Through the 1960s and ’70s, he acted opposite some of the era’s greatest stars, including Nutan, Meena Kumari and Sharmila Tagore. But no pairing captured the audience’s imagination quite like his films with Hema Malini, India’s first female superstar. Their sparkling chemistry in hits like Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) and the trailblazing blockbuster Sholay (1975) thrilled viewers—and eventually blossomed into an off-screen romance.
Their marriage in 1980 stirred controversy, as Dharmendra chose not to divorce his first wife, Prakash Kaur. Still, the turbulence barely dented his popularity. Fans continued to cheer for “Garam Dharam,” the fiery action hero who dominated the 1980s with a string of high-voltage roles that earned him the nickname “He-Man.”
Yet behind the brawny image was a performer of remarkable range. His nuanced work in Bandini, Anupama, and Satyakam—now considered classics—showcased a sensitive actor capable of far more than muscle and swagger.
A father of six, Dharmendra later ventured into film production and helped launch the careers of his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol. He also served a brief term in parliament, though acting remained his first and lasting love.
Even in his eighties, he refused to slow down. He returned to the screen for the Yamla Pagla Deewana franchise between 2011 and 2018, and in 2023 he charmed a new generation with a warm, spirited performance in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.
Away from the sets, the star who once set cinema screens ablaze preferred the quiet calm of his farm. There, he shared glimpses of his life—feeding cows, tending crops—with hundreds of thousands of social-media followers who cherished his simplicity.
For all his fame, Dharmendra remained disarmingly humble. “I was always dissatisfied with the way I looked on screen,” he admitted in a 2011 interview. “I always used to ask my directors for reshoots, saying I am not looking good from this angle or that angle.”
But millions of fans would certainly disagree. To them, Dharmendra wasn’t just a rugged action hero or a romantic lead—he was a timeless symbol of charm, warmth and cinematic magic.
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