India’s hugely popular Bollywood star Dharmendra, who was equally at ease in romantic comedies and high-octane action blockbusters, died aged 89 on Monday.
“The passing of Dharmendra Ji marks the end of an era in Indian cinema,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on social media.
“He was an iconic film personality, a phenomenal actor who brought charm and depth to every role he played.”
The actor had not been well recently and was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai.
Over a remarkable six-decade career, Dharmendra appeared in more than 250 films, served as a member of parliament, and was honoured with one of India’s highest civilian awards.
In the 1980s, Dharmendra starred in a string of action movies, earning him the nickname “He-Man”.
The most iconic role of his career was arguably the lovable rogue Veeru that he played in the 1975 classic “Sholay” (“Embers”).
The father of six also dabbled in production, with movies starring his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol.
His last film will be Sriram Raghavan’s “Ikkis” (“Twenty-one”), which is set for release next month.
AFP
