The Japan Times - Bollywood's 'He-Man' Dharmendra dies aged 89

Born Dharam Singh Deol on December 8, 1935 in Punjab, he also served as a member of parliament and was honoured with one of India's highest civilian awards.

He struck stardom after becoming the first Bollywood actor to bare his chest on screen, prompting a flood of love letters from female fans.

Dharmendra, who died on Monday aged 89, moved to Mumbai in 1958 after winning a celebrity magazine's talent competition.

"I only had my dreams," he told biographer Rajiv Vijayakar. "I was an untutored villager, with no idea of acting."

His matinee-idol looks quickly caught the eye of producers, and he made his screen debut in 1960 with the melodrama "Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere" ("My Heart is Yours, As am I").

It was in the lead role in the 1966 drama "Phool Aur Patthar" ("Flower and Stone"), that he appeared topless.

"When he whipped off his shirt in the film, for the first time Hindi filmmakers woke up to the need to cater to female sexuality," noted the Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema.

Over the years, Dharmendra shared the screen with leading stars including Nutan, Meena Kumari, and Sharmila Tagore, but his most enduring partnership was with Hema Malini, Bollywood's first woman superstar.

Their irresistible chemistry in films such as the 1972 hit "Seeta Aur Geeta" ("Seeta and Geeta") and the 1975 blockbuster "Sholay" ("Embers") blossomed into a real-life romance.

Their 1980 wedding ruffled many feathers, as Dharmendra refused to divorce his first wife, Prakash Kaur. He and Malini had two daughters.

The controversy did little to dim his popularity. Fans continued to cheer for "Garam Dharam" ("Hot Dharam") in theatres across India.

- Underrated actor -

In the 1980s, Dharmendra starred in a string of action movies, earning him the nickname "He-Man".

But the accolades he received as a handsome leading man overshadowed his versatility and subtle performances in films such as "Bandini" ("Imprisoned"), "Anupama" ("Incomparable") and "Satyakam", now regarded as classics of Indian cinema.

The father of six also dabbled in production, with movies starring his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, and briefly served as a member of parliament.

Yet acting remained his greatest passion.

He continued acting into his eighties, starring in the "Yamla Pagla Deewana" ("Crazy, Mad Lover") franchise alongside his sons from 2011 to 2018.

Even in his later years, his charisma endured. His performance in 2023's romantic family drama "Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani" ("The Love Story of Rocky and Rani") showed that, even in his 80s, Dharmendra could still make audiences swoon.

Away from the spotlight, Dharmendra retreated to his farm, where he shared videos with his hundreds of thousands of social media followers of himself tending crops and caring for cows.

Despite his fame, he often spoke with humility about his career.

"I was always dissatisfied with the way I looked on screen," he said in a 2011 interview with Bollywood site Glamsham. "I always used to ask my directors for reshoots, saying I am not looking good from this angle or that angle."

His fans, however, would have begged to differ.

S.Fujimoto--JT