Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra passed away at the age of 89 at his Juhu home. He had been recuperating at home following a serious health scare earlier this month. Later, he was cremated in front of family members and a number of the top celebrities in the business, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Salim Khan, and Amitabh Bachchan, who came to the crematorium to pay their final respects.
Shah Rukh also said a heartfelt farewell to the renowned actor on social media. He shared an unseen photo of Dharmendra stroking his face on Monday along with the caption, “Rest in Peace Dharam ji. You were nothing short of a father figure to me… thank you for showering me with blessings and love the way you did. An inconsolable and irreplaceable loss not just to his family, but to cinema and film lovers the world over. You are immortal… and your soul will live through your films and your beautiful family forever. Love you always.”
Dharmendra and Shah Rukh worked on Om Shanti Om, in which the seasoned actor had a brief appearance in the song “Deewangi Deewangi.” Several Bollywood superstars, including Rajinikanth, Shilpa Shetty, Anupam Kher, Priyanka Chopra, and filmmaker Karan Johar, Kiara Advani, Kriti Sanon, and Alia Bhatt, used social media to express shock and sorrow over Dharmendra’s passing. Dharmendra was hospitalised to Breach Candy Hospital earlier this month following a health crisis.
Online rumours of his passing quickly were refuted by his family, who confirmed that the actor was recuperating well and had been taken home for greater rest and care. On Monday morning, he died at the age of 89 in his Juhu residence. After paying their last respects, Esha Deol and Hema Malini departed the crematorium looking heartbroken.
The seasoned actor will soon be seen as Agastya Nanda’s father in Sriram Raghavan’s film Ikkis. The film, which is supported by Maddock Films, narrates the tale of 21-year-old Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who was killed in battle during the 1971 Indo-Pak war’s Battle of Basantar.
At the time, he was the youngest person to receive India’s highest military accolade, the Param Vir Chakra. The movie, which also stars Sikandar Kher and Jaideep Ahlawat, will be released in theatres on December 25.
