Indian movie star and Bollywood icon Dharmendra has died aged 89.
One of many nation’s hottest actors, he was a defining presence in Indian cinema within the Seventies and Eighties.
A senior police official who spoke to Dharmendra’s physician confirmed the star’s loss of life, simply days earlier than his ninetieth birthday, on situation of anonymity.
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Dharmendra casting his vote in Mumbai, India, final yr. Pic: AP
Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined these paying tribute to the Punjabi icon, who additionally labored as a producer and politician.
Mr Modi stated: “He was an iconic movie persona, an outstanding actor who introduced attraction and depth to each function he performed.
“The manner in which he played diverse roles struck a chord with countless people.”
Often known as India’s He-Man, he was usually solid as a larger-than-life hero; upright, patriotic and fearless.
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Dharmendra in Aadmi Aur Insaan with Saira Banu
Pic: Kobal/Shutterstock
He was usually in comparison with Hollywood contemporaries James Dean and Paul Newman, in accordance with the Hindustan Instances.
However he was in style as a romantic lead, too, regularly showing alongside Hema Malini, with whom he acted in additional than two dozen movies.
Their on-screen chemistry was actual sufficient and the pair later married.
He appeared alongside her in Sholay – a 1975 spin on the spaghetti western, considered considered one of India’s biggest movies.
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Hema Malini, centre. Pic: Reuters
He is additionally remembered for the 1975 romantic comedy Chupke Chupke, and the 1971 motion drama Mera Gaon Mera Desh.
His closing movie would be the struggle biopic Ikkis, which is but to be launched.
Born in 1935, the actor grew up in a farming household, and was simply 19 when he married his first spouse, Prakash Kaur.
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Dharmendra enters the Indian Parliament after his election in 2004. Pic: AP
He moved to Mumbai within the late Nineteen Fifties and made his Bollywood debut in 1960, along with his first look alongside Malini coming in 1970’s Tum Haseen Fundamental Jawaan.
Their marriage in 1980 was controversial, nonetheless, since Dharmendra by no means divorced his first spouse and continued to dwell along with her, whereas Malini lived individually.
Native media claimed he briefly transformed to Islam earlier than his second marriage, as a result of Indian regulation solely permits polygamy for Muslims.
However he aggressively denied the declare when he ran for public workplace in 2004, saying: “I am a Hindu. The question of my having ever changed religion does not exist.”
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A Dharmendra fan mourns exterior the crematorium in Mumbai. Pic: AP
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Cops try to regulate a crowd as they encompass a automotive exiting the crematorium after the loss of life of Dharmendra. Pic: Reuters
He would go on to be elected to the Indian parliament for the conservative Bharatiya Janata Social gathering, representing a Rajasthan seat from 2004 to 2009.
Dharmendra was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2012, in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema.
He’s survived by his wives, youngsters and grandchildren.
He had 4 youngsters along with his first spouse, together with two sons who would comply with in his footsteps as actors – Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.
With Malini he had two daughters, together with Bollywood actor Esha Deol.
