Indian film star and Bollywood icon Dharmendra has died aged 89.
One of the nation’s most popular actors, he was a defining presence in Indian cinema in the 1970s and 1980s.
A senior police official who spoke to Dharmendra’s doctor confirmed the star’s death, just days before his 90th birthday, on condition of anonymity.
Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined those paying tribute to the Punjabi icon, who also worked as a producer and politician.
Mr Modi said: “He was an iconic film personality, a phenomenal actor who brought charm and depth to every role he played.
“The manner in which he played diverse roles struck a chord with countless people.”
Known as India’s He-Man, he was often cast as a larger-than-life hero; upright, patriotic and fearless.
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He was often compared to Hollywood contemporaries James Dean and Paul Newman, according to the Hindustan Times.
But he was popular as a romantic lead, too, frequently appearing alongside Hema Malini, with whom he acted in more than two dozen films.
Their on-screen chemistry was real enough and the pair later married.
He appeared alongside her in Sholay – a 1975 spin on the spaghetti western, regarded as one of India’s greatest films.
He’s also remembered for the 1975 romantic comedy Chupke Chupke, and the 1971 action drama Mera Gaon Mera Desh.
His final film will be the war biopic Ikkis, which is yet to be released.
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“I never thought I would come this far,” he said in a 2021 interview with Indian news website Rediff.
Born in 1935, the actor grew up in a farming family, and was just 19 when he married his first wife, Prakash Kaur.
He moved to Mumbai in the late 1950s and made his Bollywood debut in 1960, with his first appearance alongside Malini coming in 1970’s Tum Haseen Main Jawaan.
Their marriage in 1980 was controversial, however, since Dharmendra never divorced his first wife and continued to live with her, while Malini lived separately.
Local media claimed he briefly converted to Islam before his second marriage, because Indian law only allows polygamy for Muslims.
But he aggressively denied the claim when he ran for public office in 2004, saying: “I am a Hindu. The question of my having ever changed religion does not exist.”
He would go on to be elected to the Indian parliament for the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party, representing a Rajasthan seat from 2004 to 2009.
Dharmendra was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2012, in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema.
He is survived by his wives, children and grandchildren.
He had four children with his first wife, including two sons who would follow in his footsteps as actors – Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.
With Malini he had two daughters, including Bollywood actor Esha Deol.
