Dharmendra
- In full:
- Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol
- Born:
- December 8, 1935, Nasrali, Punjab, India (age 89)
- Title / Office:
- Lok Sabha (2004-2009), India
- Political Affiliation:
- Bharatiya Janata Party
What was Dharmendra’s debut film?
Whom did Dharmendra marry and when?
Who are Dharmendra’s children?
News •
Dharmendra (born December 8, 1935, Nasrali, Punjab, India) is a veteran Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood. Especially noted for his powerful dialogue delivery and ability to portray a wide range of characters, Dharmendra was counted among Bollywood’s reigning stars in the 1960s and ’70s. He is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan (2012), one of the highest civilian honors in India.
Early life and debut
Dharmendra is one of six children born to parents Kewal Krishan, who was a schoolteacher, and Satwant Kaur. In 1958 he traveled to Bombay (now Mumbai) to participate in a talent hunt organized by Filmfare, an Indian entertainment magazine that also founded the Filmfare Awards. He won the contest and caught the attention of members of the film industry. Dharmendra made his debut two years later, in Arjun Hingorani’s Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960; “My Heart Is Yours, So Am I”), which was unsuccessful at the box office.
Rise to superstardom and later decline
In 1961 Dharmendra starred in his first box-office success, the romance drama Shola Aur Shabnam (“Ember and Dew”). This was followed by more hit films, such as Anpadh (1962; “Illiterate”), Bandini (1963; “Imprisoned”), for which Dharmendra was cast by director Bimal Roy during the talent hunt, and Haqeeqat (1964; “Reality”). Dharmendra’s performance in the acclaimed films Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964; “The Moment of Union Has Come”), Anupama (1966; “Incomparable”), and Phool Aur Patthar (1966; “Flower and Stone”) established him as one of Bollywood’s prominent stars. In 1968 he branched out from romances and dramas to thrillers with Shikar (“Hunt”) and Ankhen (“Eyes”), both of which were hits. In 1969 his role as an idealist who weds a survivor of sexual assault in Satyakam brought him widespread acclaim.
Dharmendra was cast in some of his most memorable films in the early 1970s alongside Bollywood’s leading actresses. He played a righteous outlaw in the action blockbuster Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971; “My Village, My Country”), opposite Asha Parekh; a spirited street performer in the romantic comedy Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), costarring Hema Malini; a dashing schemer who undergoes a change of heart in the romantic drama Raja Jani (1972; “Raja and Beloved”), costarring Hema Malini; a dual role as a dacoit (member of an armed gang of bandits) and his son in the action drama Samadhi (1972; “Tomb”), opposite Parekh and Jaya Bachchan; a man with a delinquent yet noble alter ego in the action thriller Jugnu (1973; “The Glowworm”); a criminal haunted by a tragic childhood event in the drama Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973; Procession of Memories); and a professor disguised as a chauffeur to prank his in-laws in the comedy Chupke Chupke (1975; “Quietly”), costarring Sharmila Tagore.
In 1975 Dharmendra starred in the blockbuster action thriller Sholay (1975; “Embers”). He played one half of the petty criminal duo Jai (played by Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru. Considered a groundbreaking Bollywood production, Sholay held the record for the highest-grossing Hindi film for 19 years and has become an integral part of Indian popular culture.
Dharmendra continued to appear in a number of action films in the late 1970s and ’80s, including Dharam Veer (1977), The Burning Train (1980), Insaniyat Ke Dushman (1987; “Humanity’s Enemy”), and Hukumat (1987; “Rule”). In the 1990s his career slumped, with a series of box-office disasters that coincided with the rising popularity of the three Khans (Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, and Salman Khan). He was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.
Later acting credits and political career
Dharmendra’s notable credits after 2000 include the slice-of-life drama Life in a…Metro (2007), the crime thriller Johnny Gaddaar (2007), and the dramedy Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011; “Crazy Mad Lover”), costarring Dharmendra’s two sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol. He also had supporting roles in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023; “Rocky and Rani’s Love Story”) and Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024; “The Way My Heart Got Tangled in Your Words”).
In 2004 Dharmendra won a seat in the Lok Sabha (lower chamber of Indian Parliament) as a candidate from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served in Parliament until 2009.
Personal life and controversy
In 1954 Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur, with whom he shares four children: sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, both Bollywood actors, and daughters Ajeeta Chaudhri and Vijayta Gill. In 1980, while still married to Kaur, Dharmendra married his frequent costar Hema Malini. They have two daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol, both Bollywood actresses. As of 2025 Dharmendra remains married to both Kaur and Hema Malini.
In 2004, before Dharmendra began his political service, opposition leaders from the Indian National Congress filed a court case against him. They alleged that he had converted from Hinduism to Islam to marry Hema Malini but had not disclosed his post-conversion name and religion on the nomination documents. Despite the allegations, Dharmendra served a full term.