Bollywood Bids Farewell to Dharmendra at Private Funeral in Mumbai

New Delhi: Bollywood paid its final respects to iconic actor Dharmendra, marking the end of an era in Hindi cinema. The funeral was held at Pawan Hans in Mumbai, where film personalities, close friends, and family members gathered to say their goodbyes. Large ceremonial events were avoided as per the family’s request.

Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Karan Johar, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, and designer Manish Malhotra were among the many who arrived at Pawan Hans to offer their final tributes.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, actor Akshay Kumar, and Telugu star Jr. NTR expressed their condolences on social media.

Dharmendra passed away on Monday at his Mumbai residence. He had been undergoing treatment for a respiratory ailment and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on November 1. He was discharged on November 12 at the family’s request but died on Monday morning while still under care at his Juhu home.

Filmmaker Karan Johar confirmed the news of his death through a social media post. The cremation took place at Pawan Hans in the presence of family members.

Dharmendra is survived by his wife, actress Hema Malini. His first wife, Prakash Kaur, and children from that marriage—Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Vijeta, and Ajeita—along with daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol from his second marriage, make up his family.

Dharmendra began his acting career with the 1960 film Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere. Throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, he remained one of Hindi cinema’s most prominent stars. His performances in films such as Haqeeqat, Phool Aur Patthar, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Seeta Aur Geeta, Chupke Chupke, and the iconic Sholay cemented his superstar status. Sholay in particular turned him into a household name.

After a brief hiatus, he returned to the big screen in 2023 with Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, featuring Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Ranveer Singh, and Alia Bhatt. His upcoming film Ikkis is set to release on December 25, 2025, starring Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda in the lead role.

Dharmendra also had a political career, serving as a Lok Sabha MP from Bikaner, Rajasthan, between 2004 and 2009 on a BJP ticket. In 2012, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan.

With Dharmendra’s passing, Bollywood marks the loss of one of its greatest legends and the close of a remarkable cinematic era.