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Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most handsome and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema. He is nicknamed the "He-Man" of Bollywood. With a cinematic career spanning over six decades, he has worked in more than 300 films. Dharmendra holds the record for starring in the highest number of hit films in
Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
. “''Even though this star had more hits than
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
and
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
, he was never called a ‘superstar’ for a rather academic reason. Dharmendra has the distinction of delivering the most hits as an actor in the Hindi film industry. The actor has a record 74 hits to his name in films where he was either the lead or had a substantial role. Dharmendra has appeared in over 240 films. Of these, 94 have been successful (recovering their investments), and 74 have had the distinction of being called hits. This includes 7 blockbusters, and 13 super hits, notably Sholay, the all-time highest-grosser of Indian cinema.''”
In 1987, Dharmendra delivered seven consecutive hits in a single year which is still a record in the history of
Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
. “ ''Dharmendra, an iconic figure in Bollywood, experienced a golden period in 1987 when 12 films graced the theaters consecutively, marking a zenith in his career. In this year, Dharmendra achieved the feat by delivering seven consecutive hits out of the 12 releases''” He was honoured with the
Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
, India's third highest civilian honour. Dharmendra made his debut in 1960 with '' Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere''. He first gained popularity in the mid-1960s for films, such as '' Ayee Milan Ki Bela'', '' Phool Aur Patthar'' and '' Aaye Din Bahar Ke'', and achieved greater stardom in later years, being dubbed India's "Garam Dharam" for several of his on-screen roles in Hindi films. He consistently starred in several successful Hindi films from the late-1960s to the 1980s, such as '' Ankhen'', '' Shikar'', '' Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke'', '' Jeevan Mrityu'', '' Mera Gaon Mera Desh'', '' Seeta Aur Geeta'', '' Raja Jani'', '' Jugnu'', '' Yaadon Ki Baaraat'', '' Dost'', ''
Sholay ''Sholay'' (, ) is a 1975 Indian epic action-adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father G. P. Sippy, and written by Salim–Javed. The film is about two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), hired ...
'', '' Pratiggya'', ''
Charas Charas is a cannabis concentrate made from the resin of a live cannabis plant (''Cannabis sativa'' either ''Cannabis indica, ''Indica' subspecies or ''Sativa'' subspecies) and is handmade in the Indian subcontinent. The plant grows wild thr ...
'', '' Dharam Veer'', '' Chacha Bhatija'', '' Ghulami'', '' Hukumat'', '' Aag Hi Aag'', '' Elaan-E-Jung'' and '' Tahalka'', as well as some of his acclaimed performances, include '' Anpadh'', '' Bandini'', '' Haqeeqat'', '' Anupama'', '' Mamta'', '' Majhli Didi'', '' Satyakam'', '' Naya Zamana'', ''
Samadhi Statue of a meditating Rishikesh.html" ;"title="Shiva, Rishikesh">Shiva, Rishikesh ''Samādhi'' (Pali and ), in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, is a state of meditative consciousness. In many Indian religious traditions, the cultivati ...
'', '' Resham Ki Dori'', '' Chupke Chupke'', '' Dillagi'', ''
The Burning Train ''The Burning Train'' is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film produced by B.R Chopra and directed by Ravi Chopra. The film features an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh ...
'', '' Do Dishayen'' and '' Hathyar''. Beginning in the late 1990s, he appeared in character roles in several successful and acclaimed films, such as '' Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya'', '' Life in a... Metro'', '' Apne'', '' Johnny Gaddaar'', '' Yamla Pagla Deewana'', '' Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'' and '' Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya''. In 1997, he received the
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates ...
for his contributions to
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
. He was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, representing the
Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the States and territories of India, state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Fo ...
constituency in
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
from the
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
(BJP).


Early and personal life

Dharmendra was born as Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol in Nasrali, a village in
Ludhiana district Ludhiana district is one of the 23 districts in the Indian state of Punjab. It is Punjab's largest district by both area and population. Ludhiana, the largest city in Punjab, is the district headquarters. The main industries are bicycle parts ...
,
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
,
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
on 8 December 1935. He was born to Kewal Krishan and Satwant Kaur into a Punjabi Jat family. His ancestral village is Dangon, near Pakhowal Tehsil Raikot,
Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
. He spent his early life in the village of Sahnewal and studied at Government Senior Secondary School at Lalton Kalan,
Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
, where his father was the village school headmaster. He did his matriculation in Phagwara in 1952. In those days, schools of
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
came under
Panjab University, Chandigarh Panjab University (PU) is an Indian collegiate public state university located in Chandigarh. Funded through both State and Union governments, it is considered a state university. It traces its origins to the University of the Punjab in Laho ...
. Dharmendra's first marriage was to Prakash Kaur at the age of 19 in 1954, before he entered film industry. He had two sons from this marriage, Sunny Deol and
Bobby Deol Vijay Singh Deol (born 27 January 1969), better known by his screen name Bobby Deol, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi cinema. A member of the List of Hindi film families#Deol family, Deol family, he is the younger son of actor Dha ...
, both successful film actors; and two daughters, Vijeeta and Ajeeta. After moving to
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
and entering films, Dharmendra married
Hema Malini Hema Malini Dharmendra Deol (born 16 October 1948; ) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician who is currently serving as a member of the Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), representing Mathura constituency since 2 ...
, which caused controversy at the time since he was already married. Rumours began to circulate about Dharmendra and
Hema Malini Hema Malini Dharmendra Deol (born 16 October 1948; ) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician who is currently serving as a member of the Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), representing Mathura constituency since 2 ...
converting to
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
for this marriage. In 2004, during a political campaign, when the rumours began to circulate again, Dharmendra asserted that he remained a
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, the family being
Arya Samaj Arya Samaj () is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda Saraswati founded the samaj in the 1870s. Arya Samaj was the first Hindu ...
i. He and Malini starred together in a number of movies in the early 1970s, including ''
Sholay ''Sholay'' (, ) is a 1975 Indian epic action-adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father G. P. Sippy, and written by Salim–Javed. The film is about two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), hired ...
''. The couple has two daughters, Esha Deol (an actress, born in 1981) and Ahana Deol (an assistant director, born in 1985). His grandson, Bobby Deol's son, is also named "Dharam", after him. Dharmendra has a farmhouse in Lonavala, where he now generally resides. His family resides in Juhu, Mumbai. In 2023, Dharmendra expressed that Bollywood neglected his family and never appreciated Deol family's contribution to
Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
.


Career


1960–1969: Early career and rise to prominence

Dharmendra was the winner of ''
Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of India's most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, ...
'' magazine's nationally organised new talent award and went to Mumbai from
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
to work in the movie. However, it was never made. He later made his film debut in 1960 with
Arjun Hingorani Arjun Hingorani (15 Nov 1926 – 5 May 2018) was an Indian Bollywood Film director, director, Film producer, producer and actor. He launched Dharmendra and Sadhana Shivdasani in Indian cinema. His other major contribution to Indian cinema was m ...
's
romantic drama Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
'' Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere''. The film largely went unnoticed and as a result, did not perform that well at the box office. He saw his first commercial success in 1961 with Ramesh Saigal's '' Shola Aur Shabnam'' and followed it with hits, such as Mohan Kumar's '' Anpadh'' (1962) and Bimal Roy's '' Bandini'' (1963), which won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. His breakthrough came in 1964 when he co-starred alongside
Rajendra Kumar Rajendra Kumar (born as Rajendra Kumar Tuli; 20 July 1927 – 12 July 1999), was an Indian actor who starred in Bollywood films. Starting his career in 1949, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. Kumar was on ...
and Saira Banu in another of Mohan Kumar's directional venture '' Ayee Milan Ki Bela''. It went on to become a superhit and despite playing the antagonist, Dharmendra was noticed by audience and received a nomination in the
Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role. Although the awards starte ...
category. That same year, he played the lead role in Chetan Anand's war-drama '' Haqeeqat''. Based on the
Sino-Indian War The Sino–Indian War, also known as the China–India War or the Indo–China War, was an armed conflict between China and India that took place from October to November 1962. It was a military escalation of the Sino–Indian border dispu ...
of 1962, the film proved to be a major critical and commercial success, eventually emerging a superhit with one of its song " Ab Tumhare Hawaale Watan Saathiyon", a solo by
Mohammed Rafi Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and range of voice ...
becoming hugely popular among the masses. In 1965, he had another major success in Ram Maheshwari's romantic drama '' Kaajal''. The film also had Meena Kumari, Raaj Kumar and Padmini in the lead. In 1966, Dharmendra reunited with Kumari for O. P. Ralhan's '' Phool Aur Patthar''. The film topped the box office chart in 1966, becoming a major blockbuster and making him a saleable star. He received his first nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Actor category for the film. The success of ''Phool Aur Patthar'' was followed by hits in '' Mamta'', ''
Devar ''Devar'' is a 1966 Hindi film directed by Mohan Sehgal. It stars Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore, Deven Verma and Shashikala. The music is by Roshan and the lyrics by Anand Bakshi; this is their only film together that met with success. The fi ...
'', '' Anupama'' and '' Aaye Din Bahar Ke'', the same year. He was also given a souvenir at the 14th National Film Awards in recognition of his performance in ''Anupama''. The next year, he worked in commercially unsuccessful, but critically acclaimed films like - '' Dulhan Ek Raat Ki'' opposite Nutan and '' Majhli Didi'', '' Chandan Ka Palna'', both opposite Kumari. Dharmendra hit the big league in 1968 with Atma Ram's mystery thriller '' Shikar'' and Ramanand Sagar's
spy thriller Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelli ...
'' Ankhen''. Both the films opened to positive audience response and proved to be blockbusters at the box office with the latter being the top–earning film that year. His other commercially successful releases of 1968 were – T. Prakash Rao's drama film '' Izzat'' (in which he played a double role) and Amar Kumar's romantic drama '' Mere Hamdam Mere Dost''. The following year, saw the emergence of superstar
Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
, who stormed the nation with back-to-back blockbusters in '' Aradhana'' and '' Do Raaste''. With his rise, a number of stars went through career decline. During this phase, Dharmendra and
Dev Anand Dev Anand (; born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand; 26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011) was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Indian cinema, Hindi cinema. He is considered as one of the greatest and most succes ...
were the only actors who remained unaffected by Khanna's popularity. In 1969, he had a superhit in '' Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke'', followed by three more successful films, which were - '' Yakeen'', '' Pyar Hi Pyar'' and '' Aadmi Aur Insaan''. Dharmendra also received immense acclaim for his portrayal of a righteous man in
Hrishikesh Mukherjee Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema. Popularly known as ''Hrishi-da'', he directed 42 films during his car ...
's social drama film '' Satyakam'', which is widely considered to be his career-best performance by fans as well as critics and went on to win National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.


1970–1977: Superstardom

In 1970, Dharmendra delivered four major successes and formed a hit pair with
Hema Malini Hema Malini Dharmendra Deol (born 16 October 1948; ) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician who is currently serving as a member of the Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), representing Mathura constituency since 2 ...
. His first release was Satyen Bose's
crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
'' Jeevan Mrityu''. An adaptation of
Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...
's novel ''
The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Alexandre Dumas. It was serialised from 1844 to 1846, and published in book form in 1846. It is one of his most popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers'' (184 ...
'', it proved to be major critical and commercial success, eventually emerging a blockbuster and one of the top earners of 1970. His next two films,
Bhappi Sonie Bhappi Sonie (31 July 1928 – 5 September 2001) was an Indian film director and producer, in Hindi cinema. He is best known for Shammi Kapoor and Dharmendra hit films, ''Janwar (1965 film), Janwar'' (1965) and ''Brahmachari (Hindi film), Brahma ...
's '' Tum Haseen Main Jawan'' and Asit Sen's '' Sharafat'', both opposite Malini proved to be superhits at the box office. This was followed by a flop in '' Ishq Par Zor Nahin'' alongside Sadhana and a hit in '' Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan?'' with Babita. His final release of that year was
Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (; born as Shrishti Nath Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influen ...
's magnum opus ''
Mera Naam Joker ''Mera Naam Joker'' () is a 1970 Indian romantic drama film, directed, edited and produced by Raj Kapoor under his banner R. K. Films, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film stars Raj Kapoor as the eponymous character, with his son Rish ...
'' (in which he played a supporting role). Although the film was a disaster at the time of release, it attained cult status in later years, with many critics hailing it as one of the best Indian films of all time. In 1971, Dharmendra starred in Raj Khosla's
action drama The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
'' Mera Gaon Mera Desh''. The film went on to become an ''All Time Blockbuster'' and established his image of an action hero. The large success of this film also made the industry shift from romantic to action films. Dharmendra received his second nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Actor category for his performance in ''Mera Gaon Mera Desh''. His success continued in the following year with another massive blockbuster in '' Seeta Aur Geeta'', a superhit in '' Raja Jani'' and a hit film, ''
Samadhi Statue of a meditating Rishikesh.html" ;"title="Shiva, Rishikesh">Shiva, Rishikesh ''Samādhi'' (Pali and ), in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, is a state of meditative consciousness. In many Indian religious traditions, the cultivati ...
'' to go with the major grossers. The mass hysteria created by ''Mera Gaon Mera Desh'' in 1971, followed by back-to-back hits with ''Seeta Aur Geeta'', ''Raja Jani'' and ''Samadhi'' in 1972 took Dharmendra to the number 1 position among his contemporaries, thus making him a "superstar". 1973 was the best year of Dharmendra's career with many successes. His first release, which was A. Bhimsingh's action crime film '' Loafer,'' emerged a superhit with its songs, including "Aaj Mausam Bada Be-Imaan", "Main Tere Ishq Mein", "Koi Shehri Babu" becoming immensely popular among the masses and making its soundtrack one of the best-selling Hindi film albums of the 1970s. This was followed by mystery thriller '' Jheel Ke Us Paar'' and
action drama The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
'' Jugnu''. While ''Jheel Ke Us Paar'' was a hit, the latter proved to be a blockbuster in India as well as Soviet Union, eventually taking 2nd spot at the box office in 1973. Owing to its huge success, ''Jugnu'' was also remade in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
and Telugu as ''
Guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
'' (1980). His next two releases were -
Ravikant Nagaich Ravikant Nagaich (5 July 1931 – 6 January 1991) was an Indian film personality born at Atrauli, Aligarh- Uttar Pradesh, India. He started his filming career as a cinematographer in Telugu films, N.T. Rama Rao's '' Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam'' ...
's spy thriller '' Keemat'' and
Adurthi Subba Rao Adurthi Subba Rao (16 December 1912 – 1 October 1975) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor, primarily recognized for his contributions to Telugu cinema, with a few works in Hindi and Tamil cinema. In an era dominate ...
's light-hearted drama film '' Jwaar Bhata''. Both the films received critical acclaim and emerged moderately successful. Towards the end of the year, Dharmendra appeared in '' Yaadon Ki Baaraat'', ''
Blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a thr ...
'' and ''
Kahani Kismat Ki ''Kahani Kismat Ki'' (The story of destiny) is a 1973 Hindi film produced and directed by Arjun Hingorani. The film's success prodded the director to try to recreate its success by continuing with its lead actor and film titles having 3 words s ...
''. ''Yaadon Ki Baaraat'', directed by Nasir Hussain and written by Salim-Javed is widely identified as the first
masala film Masala films of Indian cinema are those that blend multiple genres into one work. Masala films emerged in the 1970s and are still being created as of the 2020s. Typically these films freely blend action, comedy, romance, and drama, or melod ...
of
Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
and proved to be another blockbuster for the actor as well as the second best-selling
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
album of the 1970s. On the other hand, Vijay Anand's romantic thriller ''Blackmail'' was an unsuccessful venture critically and commercially, but reception later improved, with many calling it one of Anand's most underrated works. The song "Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas" filmed on Dharmendra and Raakhee was a chartbuster and remains popular in modern culture. His final release of the year, Arjun Hingorani's actioner ''Kahani Kismat Ki'' continued his dream run and emerged a superhit at the box office. The following year, Dharmendra added one more blockbuster in his kitty with Dulal Guha's social drama '' Dost'' co-starring
Shatrughan Sinha Shatrughan Prasad Sinha (born 15 July 1946) is an Indian actor and politician. He is a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Asansol constituency as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier he was elected as Member of Parliament ...
and Hema Malini. The huge box office success of ''Dost'' was followed by moderate successes in '' Patthar Aur Payal'' and '' Resham Ki Dori''. For his performance in the latter, Dharmendra received his fourth and final nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Actor category. The 1975 Emergency had angered the public, and this helped films featuring the lead character revolting against corruption and establishment become successes. The shift from romantic and social movies to action-oriented multi-starrers changed the box office. The year saw the rise of another superstar,
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
, but Dharmendra remained rock-steady and continued to deliver huge hits. In 1975, Dharmendra appeared alongside Bachchan in two films. The first was Mukherjee's light-hearted comedy '' Chupke Chupke''. It received positive response from critics and went on to become a hit at the box office. The second was Ramesh Sippy's actioner ''
Sholay ''Sholay'' (, ) is a 1975 Indian epic action-adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father G. P. Sippy, and written by Salim–Javed. The film is about two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), hired ...
''. It released on 15 August 1975, Indian Independence Day, in Bombay. Due to lackluster reviews and a lack of effective visual marketing tools, it saw poor financial returns in its first two weeks. However, from the third week onward, viewership picked up owing to positive
word of mouth Word of mouth is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others a ...
. During the initial slow period, the director and writer considered re-shooting some scenes so that Amitabh Bachchan's character would not die. When business picked up, they abandoned this idea. After additionally releasing a soundtrack containing dialogue snippets, ''Sholay'' soon became an "overnight sensation". The film was then released in other distribution zones such as Delhi,
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
,
Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
, and
Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
on 11 October 1975. It became the highest-grossing Hindi-language film of 1975, and film ranking website
Box Office India Box Office India is an Indian film website dedicated to tracking, reporting, and analyzing the financial performance of films released in the Hindi entertainment industry. Established in 2003, Box Office India has become a prominent source of ...
has given the film a verdict of ''All Time Blockbuster''. ''Sholay'' went on to earn a still-standing record of 60 golden jubilees across India, and was the first film in India to celebrate a silver jubilee at over 100 theatres. It was shown continuously at Bombay's Minerva Theatre for over five years and in Kolkata's Jyoti Cinema for almost two years. ''Sholay'' was the Indian film with the longest theatrical run until '' Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'' (1995) broke its record of 286 weeks in 2001. Before the end of year, he delivered another blockbuster in '' Pratiggya''. The film along with its strong action scenes also had a significant comic track in the form of "
slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...
" comedy which led to it being referred as a "masterpiece in comedy". In 1976, Dharmendra reunited with Ramanand Sagar for the action thriller ''
Charas Charas is a cannabis concentrate made from the resin of a live cannabis plant (''Cannabis sativa'' either ''Cannabis indica, ''Indica' subspecies or ''Sativa'' subspecies) and is handmade in the Indian subcontinent. The plant grows wild thr ...
''. Set against the backdrop of the expulsion of Indian community from Uganda by its dictator
Idi Amin Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...
in 1972, it opened to bumper response all over the nation and emerged a superhit at the box office. His other release of the year, M. A. Thirumugam's
family drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...
film '' Maa'' was thrashed by critics, but still went on to become a success. The year 1977 proved to be a big one for Dharmendra with a mega blockbuster in
Manmohan Desai Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was an Indian film producer and director. He was one of the most successful filmmakers of the 70s and 80s. Desai was an influential and sought-after film director of Bollywood and a pioneer of ...
's
action drama The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
'' Dharam Veer'', a superhit in another of Desai's masala film '' Chacha Bhatija'', followed by two more successful films in Arjun Hingorani's mystery thriller '' Khel Khilari Ka'' and Pramod Chakravorty's action comedy '' Dream Girl''. In the United Kingdom, ''Dharam Veer'' had 23 shows in 5 cities. Driven by the success of Rafi's songs, the film took a record initial of £50,000 in the UK, equivalent to . In addition, the film sold 32 million tickets in the Soviet Union.


1978–1997: Continued success and occasional setbacks

Post-1977, the quality of Dharmendra's films dropped and so the number of huge grossers, but his initial draw remained intact, owing to which the flow of successes continued till the 1990s. In 1978, he had four major releases which included '' Shalimar'', '' Azaad'', '' Dillagi'' and '' Phandebaaz''. Out of these, ''Shalimar'' and ''Phandebaaz'' were critical and commercial failures while ''Azaad'' and ''Dillagi'', both co-starring Malini emerged successful, especially the former which was a superhit as well as fourth highest-grossing film of the year. The following year, he added one more superhit in his kitty with Mohan Sehgal's '' Kartavya'' and a successful film with Dulal Guha's '' Dil Kaa Heera''. Dharmendra began the 1980s with
Ravi Chopra Ravi Chopra (27 September 1946 – 12 November 2014) was an Indian filmmaker, best known for directing the television show '' Mahabharat'' (1988–1990). Life Chopra was the son of producer and director B.R. Chopra and nephew of Yash Chopra. ...
's big-budget
action thriller The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
''
The Burning Train ''The Burning Train'' is a 1980 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film produced by B.R Chopra and directed by Ravi Chopra. The film features an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh ...
''. The film co-starring
Jeetendra Jeetendra (born Ravi Kapoor ; 7 April 1942) is an Indian actor who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. He is noted for his acting, style and dance. He has worked in more than Je ...
,
Vinod Khanna Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he wa ...
, Hema Malini and
Parveen Babi Parveen Sultana Wali Mohammad Khanji Babi (; 4 April 195420 January 2005) was an Indian actress and model, who worked in Hindi films. One of the highest-paid actresses of the 1970s and the 1980s, she appeared in over 70 films and was the first ...
didn't live up to the expectations and ended up as an average fare, however gained cult status in later years. His next two releases were - '' Alibaba Aur 40 Chor'' and '' Ram Balram''. While the former was a moderate success, the latter in which he reunited with Bachchan proved to be a box office hit. In 1981, he had a superhit in '' Kaatilon Ke Kaatil'', but other releases, such as '' Aas Paas'' and '' Krodhi'' failed to leave a mark while Brij Sadanah's big-budget actioner '' Professor Pyarelal'' ended up as an average grosser. This changed in 1982 as five of his films emerged commercial successes, these were - ''
Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
'', '' Badle Ki Aag'', ''
Ghazab ''Ghazab '' () is a 1982 Indian Hindi-language action comedy-drama film starring Dharmendra and Rekha. The film was a remake of the Tamil film '' Kalyanaraman''. The movie was a 'Hit' and the performance of Dharmendra was critically acclaimed ...
'', '' Baghavat'' and '' Samraat''. In 1983, Dharmendra delivered a hit in Rajkumar Kohli's comedy film '' Naukar Biwi Ka'', followed by another success, '' Qayamat'', but his most anticipated film of that year, Kamal Amrohi's period biographical film ''
Razia Sultan Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din ( Hindustani (Hindi): रज़िय्यत उद दुन्या व उद दीन, ; 1205 – 15 October 1240, ), popularly known as Razia Sultan, was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part ...
'' was a box office
disaster A disaster is an event that causes serious harm to people, buildings, economies, or the environment, and the affected community cannot handle it alone. '' Natural disasters'' like avalanches, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires are caused by na ...
. The next year, he had seven releases, out of which '' Baazi'', ''
Jagir A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...
'', '' Jeene Nahi Doonga'' and ''
Dharm Aur Qanoon ''Dharm Aur Qanoon'' (transl. ''Religion and Law'') is a 1984 crime thriller film starring Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Vinod Mehra, Asha Parekh, Jaya Prada, Supriya Pathak, Danny Denzongpa, Om Shivpuri, Iftekhar, Manmohan Krishna in pivo ...
'' did reasonable business, but rest were critical and commercial failures. In 1985, Dharmendra starred in J. P. Dutta's action drama film '' Ghulami'' which also had
Mithun Chakraborty Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, film producer, screenwriter, entrepreneur and politician who predominantly works in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali cinema. In a career spa ...
,
Naseeruddin Shah Naseeruddin Shah (born 20 July 1950) is an Indian actor. He was notable in Indian parallel cinema and has starred in various international productions. He has won numerous awards in his career, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfa ...
, Reena Roy and
Smita Patil Smita Patil (17 October 1955 – 13 December 1986) was an Indian actress who primarily worked in Hindi and Marathi language, Marathi films. Regarded among the greatest and finest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she was known for her ...
in the lead. The film opened to positive reviews from critics and emerged a superhit as well as one of the top five highest-earners of that year. Its song, "Zeehale Muskin Makun ba-Ranjish", sung by
Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar (; born Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. He ...
and Shabbir Kumar was a chartbuster and was featured in the year-end annual list of
Binaca Geetmala ''Binaca Geetmala'' () was a weekly countdown show of top filmi songs from Hindi cinema. It was broadcast on Radio Ceylon from 1952 to 1988 and then shifted to the Vividh Bharati Service of All India Radio network in 1989 where it ran until 199 ...
. The following year, he had another commercial success with Ambrish Sangal's '' Begaana'' (1986), co-starring Kumar Gaurav and Rati Agnihotri. Dharmendra returned to the big league in 1987 by delivering eight successful films in the year. His first two releases were - Rajkumar Kohli's and Raj N. Sippy's actioners '' Insaniyat Ke Dushman'' and '' Loha'', respectively, both of which proved to be box office hits. He then appeared in '' Dadagiri'', '' Hukumat'' and '' Aag Hi Aag''. While ''Dadagiri'' was an average fare, the latter two went on to become superhits with ''Hukumat'' emerging as the highest-grossing film of the year. This was followed by T. Rama Rao's hit venture '' Watan Ke Rakhwale'' and two more successful films, '' Insaaf Kaun Karega'' with
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...
and '' Insaf Ki Pukar'', co-starring Jeetendra. His other hit ventures of the decade, include '' Khatron Ke Khiladi'' (1988) and '' Elaan-E-Jung'' (1989). With the advent of the 1990s, Dharmendra's star power began to wane. From 1990 to 1992, his successful films included '' Naakabandi'' (1990), '' Veeru Dada'' (1990), '' Humse Na Takrana'' (1990), '' Kohraam'' (1991), '' Virodhi'' (1992) and '' Tahalka'' (1992), which also proved to be his final hit as a lead actor. In 1993, he appeared in J. P. Dutta's ensemble action film ''
Kshatriya Kshatriya () (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority"; also called Rajanya) is one of the four varnas (social orders) of Hindu society and is associated with the warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
'' co-starring
Sunil Dutt Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and politician known for his work in Hindi Cinema. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was t ...
,
Vinod Khanna Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he wa ...
,
Rakhee Gulzar Raakhee Gulzar ( Majumdar) (; born 15 August 1947), professionally known as Raakhee, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi and Bengali films. One of the leading and most popular actresses of the 1970s and early 1980s, Raakhee is a ...
,
Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Balraj Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who works in Hindi cinema in addition to a few Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Punjabi films. Dutt has won several accolades and acted in over 160 films. ...
, Sunny Deol,
Meenakshi Seshadri Meenakshi Seshadri Mysore (; née Seshadri; born 16 November 1963) as Shashikala Seshadri, is an Indian former actress and beauty pageant titleholder who worked primarily in Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Tamil language, Tamil films. Sesh ...
,
Raveena Tandon Raveena Tandon (born 26 October 1972) is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Considered as one of the leading actresses of the 1990s and early 2000s, Tandon is a recipient of several awards, including a National Film ...
and
Divya Bharti Divya Bharti (; 25 February 1974 – 5 April 1993) was an Indian actress who predominantly worked in Hindi and Telugu movies. Known for her acting, vivacity and beauty, she was among the highest-paid Indian actresses of her time. She received ...
. ''Kshatriya'' took a record opening, but collections dropped after it was pulled from theatres owing to Dutt's involvement in the 1993 Bombay bombings and it ended up as a flop. In the mid-1990s, he delivered average fares in '' Policewala Gunda'' (1995) and ''
Mafia "Mafia", as an informal or general term, is often used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the Sicilian Mafia, original Mafia in Sicily, to the Italian-American Mafia, or to other Organized crime in Italy, organiz ...
'' (1996), but his other releases, including biggies, such as '' Maidan-E-Jung'' (1995) and '' Return of Jewel Thief'' (1996) proved to be box office failures. In 1997, Dharmendra received the
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates ...
. While accepting the award from
Dilip Kumar Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021) was an Indian actor and film producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated Hindi cinema from the 1950s throughout t ...
and his wife Saira Banu, he became emotional and remarked that he had never won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor despite having worked in so many successful films and nearly a hundred popular films. Speaking on this occasion
Dilip Kumar Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021) was an Indian actor and film producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated Hindi cinema from the 1950s throughout t ...
commented, "Whenever I get to meet with God Almighty, I will set before him my only complaint – why did you not make me as handsome as Dharmendra?".


1998–present: Shift to character roles

Since the late-1990s, Dharmendra has appeared in character roles. His first film in such a role was
Sohail Khan Sohail Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 20 December 1969) is an Indian actor and producer who works mainly in Hindi cinema. He is the younger brother of actors Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan. He has an elder sister, Alvira Khan Agnihotri. He produ ...
's
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
'' Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya'' (1998), co-starring Salman Khan, Kajol and
Arbaaz Khan Arbaaz Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 4 August 1967) is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Bollywood, Hindi cinema, in addition to Telugu cinema, Telugu, Urdu and Malayalam, Malayalam cinema. Since his debut in 1996, he ha ...
. The film received positive reviews from critics and became a superhit at the box office. His first two major releases of the new decade were '' Kaise Kahoon Ke... Pyaar Hai'' (2003) and '' Kis Kis Ki Kismat'' (2004), both of which were box office failures. After this, Dharmendra went on a hiatus for a brief period and returned with three films in 2007. These were - Anurag Basu's drama film '' Life in a... Metro'', Anil Sharma's
sports drama A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme (arts), theme. It is a production in which a sport or a sports-related topic is prominently featured or is a focus o ...
'' Apne'' and Sriram Raghavan's neo-noir thriller '' Johnny Gaddaar''. Both, ''Life in a... Metro'' and ''Apne'' proved to be critical and commercial successes. On the other hand, ''Johnny Gaddaar'', despite failing at the box office, received praise from critics and attained cult status in later years. The same year, he made a guest appearance in the song "Deewangi Deewangi" from
Farah Khan Farah Khan Kunder (; born 9 January 1965) is an Indian film director, writer, film producer, actress, dancer and choreographer who works predominantly in Hindi films. Khan has choreographed more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, winning th ...
's blockbuster reincarnation drama ''
Om Shanti Om ''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. literally to ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Hindi-language romantic fantasy film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies E ...
''. In 2011, Dharmendra starred in '' Yamla Pagla Deewana'' and '' Tell Me O Kkhuda''. While the latter was a commercial disaster, ''Yamla Pagla Deewana'' performed very well and emerged a box office hit. He then appeared in sequels to ''Yamla Pagla Deewana'', '' Yamla Pagla Deewana 2'' (2013) and '' Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se'' (2018), but unlike the first film, both the sequels received poor audience response. In 2023, he appeared in
Karan Johar Karan Yash Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo, is an Indian filmmaker, producer and television personality who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several successful ac ...
's ensemble
family drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...
'' Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani''. It opened to a polarising response from reviewers but grossed over worldwide and proved to be a hit as well as the tenth highest-grossing Indian film of the year. The following year, Dharmendra co-starred alongside
Shahid Kapoor Shahid Kapoor (; born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of List of awards and n ...
and
Kriti Sanon Kriti Sanon (born 27 July 1990) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. She has received a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards, and was featured in ''Forbes India'' Forbes Celebrity 100, Celebrity 100 list of 2019. Af ...
in the
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
'' Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya''. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, but still did a lifetime business of worldwide to emerge a commercial success.


Frequent collaborations

Dharmendra's most successful pairing was with Hema Malini, whom he later married. The couple performed together in many films including ''Tum Haseen Main Jawaan'', ''Sharafat'', ''Naya Zamana'', ''Seeta Aur Geeta'', ''Raja Jani'', ''Jugnu'', ''Dost'', ''Patthar Aur Payal'', ''Sholay'', ''Charas'', ''Maa'', ''Chacha Bhatija'' and ''Azaad''. He has worked with various directors, each with a different style of filmmaking. His longest collaboration was with director Arjun Hingorani from 1960 to 1991. ''Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere'' was the debut film of Dharmendra as an actor and Arjun's first directorial venture with Dharmendra as the lead hero. They worked together in '' Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan?'', ''Kahani Kismat Ki'', ''Khel Khilari Ka'', ''Katilon Ke Kaatil'' and '' Kaun Kare Kurbanie'' where Arjun Hingorani was the producer and the director, and ''Sultanat'' and '' Karishma Kudrat Kaa'', produced by
Arjun Hingorani Arjun Hingorani (15 Nov 1926 – 5 May 2018) was an Indian Bollywood Film director, director, Film producer, producer and actor. He launched Dharmendra and Sadhana Shivdasani in Indian cinema. His other major contribution to Indian cinema was m ...
. He worked with director
Pramod Chakravorty Pramod Chakravorty (15 August 1929 – 12 December 2004) was an Indian Hindi film producer and director. Career Chakravorty is best known for directing Hindi film classics like ''Ziddi (1964 film), Ziddi'', ''Love in Tokyo'', ''Tumse Achcha Kau ...
in ''Naya Zamana'', ''Jugnu'', ''Dream Girl'' and ''Azaad''. Anil Sharma worked with him in many films including ''Hukumat'', ''Elaan-E-Jung'', '' Farishtay'', ''Tahalka'' and ''Apne''.


Works in other languages

In the starting of his film career he worked in the Bengali film '' Paari'' (1966) directed by Jagannath Chatterjee. The film also featured
Dilip Kumar Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021) was an Indian actor and film producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated Hindi cinema from the 1950s throughout t ...
and Keshto Mukherjee in key roles. He has periodically appeared in films in his native tongue of Punjabi, starring in '' Kankan De Ohle'' (1970), '' Do Sher'' (1974), '' Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam'' (1974), '' Teri Meri Ik Jindri'' (1975), '' Putt Jattan De'' (1982) and '' Qurbani Jatt Di'' (1990). He returned to Punjabi cinema after a gap with the 2014 film '' Double Di Trouble''.


Other works


Political career

Dharmendra served as a Member of the Indian Parliament (
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
) from
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
representing
Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the States and territories of India, state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Fo ...
in
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
from 2004 to 2009. During his election campaign in 2004, he made an offensive remark that he should be elected
dictator perpetuo ( English: "dictator in perpetuity"), also called ''dictator in perpetuum'', was the office Julius Caesar held at the end of his life. He was granted the title between 26 January and 15 February during the year 44 BC. By abandoning the time res ...
to teach "basic etiquette that democracy requires" for which he was severely criticised. He rarely attended
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
when the house was in session, preferring to spend time shooting movies or working at his farmhouse, for which he was also widely criticised.


Television

In 2011, Dharmendra replaced Sajid Khan as the male judge of the third series of popular reality show ''
India's Got Talent India's Got Talent is a televised Indian Hindi, Hindi language talent show series and is part of the ''Got Talent franchise''. The program is produced and distributed by Fremantle (company), Fremantle and Syco Entertainment. The show aired on C ...
''. On 29 July 2011, the show aired on
Colors TV Colors TV is an Indian general entertainment pay television channel owned by JioStar, a joint venture between Viacom18 and Disney India. Its programming consists of Soap opera, family dramas, Comedy, comedies, fantasy shows, youth-oriented Rea ...
with Dharmendra as the new judge and surpassed the opening ratings of the previous two seasons. In 2023, he appeared in his first television acting role as Salim Chisti in the historical series '' Taj: Divided by Blood'' which is available on
ZEE5 ZEE5 or Z5 is an Indian subscription video on demand and over-the-top streaming service, owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched in India on 14 February 2018 with content in 12 languages. The ZEE5 mobile app is available on We ...
.


Producing and presenting films

In 1983, Dharmendra set up a production company known as Vijayta Films. In its maiden venture '' Betaab'', released in 1983, Vijayta Films launched Dharmendra's elder son Sunny Deol as the lead actor. The film was the second highest-grossing film of the year. In 1990 he produced the action film '' Ghayal'', also starring Sunny. The film won seven
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...
, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film. It won the
National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment The National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India, and was constituted in the year 1975. This is one of th ...
. Dharmendra then launched the career of his younger son, Bobby, in 1995 with '' Barsaat'', which was again a super hit at the box office. He was the presenter for his films like '' Satyakam'' (1969) and '' Kab Kyun Aur Kahan'' (1970).


Legacy

Dharmendra is widely regarded as one of the most influential personalities in Indian cinema. He was considered one of the most handsome men in the world during his early career and is widely known as the "He-Man" of Bollywood. In 2022, he was placed in ''
Outlook India ''Outlook'' is a weekly general interest English and Hindi news magazine published in India. History and profile ''Outlook'' was first issued in October 1995 with Vinod Mehta as the editor in chief. It is owned by the Rajan Raheja Group. Th ...
''s "75 Best Bollywood Actors" list. '' Rediff.com'' placed him 10th in its "Top 10 Bollywood Actors of All Time" list. Dharmendra most notable acting performances include ''Satyakam'' with
Hrishikesh Mukherjee Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema. Popularly known as ''Hrishi-da'', he directed 42 films during his car ...
, and ''Sholay'', which is listed by ''
Indiatimes Times Internet is an Indian Multinational Corporation, multinational technology company, headquartered in Gurgaon. It is the digital arm of The Times Group, the largest media conglomerate in India. Through its venture capital arm TVentures, Ti ...
'' as one of the ''"''top 25 must see
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
films of all time''"''. In 2005, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards awarded ''Sholay'' the special distinction of Filmfare Best Film of 50 years. When
Dilip Kumar Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021) was an Indian actor and film producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated Hindi cinema from the 1950s throughout t ...
was giving the
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates ...
to Dharmendra, he commented, "Whenever I get to meet with God Almighty, I will set before him my only complaint—why did you not make me as handsome as Dharmendra?". One of the most successful actors of the 1970s and 1980s, Dharmendra appeared in ''Box Office India'''s "Top Actors" list eighteen times from 1968 to 1984 and 1987. He topped the list four times (1972–1975). Dharmendra holds the record for delivering most number of hit films by an actor in
hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
. In 1987, Dharmendra delivered seven consecutive hit films in a single year which is still a record in
Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
.


Filmography


Accolades and honours


Civilian award

* 2012 –
Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
, India's third highest civilian honour from the
Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...


National Film Awards

*
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment – '' Ghayal''


Filmfare Awards


Other awards and recognitions

* In the mid-seventies, Dharmendra was voted one of the most handsome men in the world. * He received a Special Award for his "contribution in Indian Cinema" at the Kalakar Awards. * He is a recipient of the "Living Legend Award" by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry ( FICCI) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Indian entertainment industry. * In 2003 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sansui Viewers' Choice Movie Awards. * In 2004, he was honoured for Best Contribution to Indian Cinema. * In 2005, he received the Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement * In 2007, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Pune International Film Festival The Pune International Film Festival (also known as PIFF) is an annual film festival held in Pune, a city in Maharashtra, India. Open to general public, the films are screened at National Film Archive of India, NFAI, INOX Leisure Limited, Inox ...
(PIFF) * In 2007, he received an IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award. * In 2007, he received an award for Humanitarian Services to the Indian Nation. * In 2007, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award by DBR Entertainment. * In 2007, the Punjabi newspaper '' Quami Ekta'' honoured him for his contributions to Indian cinema. * In 2008, he was named "Actor Par Excellence" at the Max
Stardust Awards The Stardust Awards was an award ceremony for Hindi movies, which was sponsored by '' Stardust'' magazine. Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won. The first ceremony was held in 2004 for films released in 2003. The ...
. * In 2008, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 10th
Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) is a public trust that organises the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in the city of Mumbai, India. Priyanka Chopra, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is the chairperson of the trust while Shivendra Singh Dungarpur serves ...
(MAMI) International Film Festival. * In 2009, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Nashik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh ...
International Film Festival (NIFF). * In 2010, he was honoured as the Big Star Entertainer for his half-century of excellence at the
BIG Star Entertainment Awards The Big STAR Entertainment Awards was an annual award show presented by Reliance Broadcast Network Limited in association with STAR India to honour personalities from the field of entertainment across movies, music, television, sports, theatr ...
. * In 2011, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Award. * In 2011, he received a "Salaam Maharashtra Award" for completing 50 years in the film industry. * In 2011, he was honoured with "The ITA Scroll Of Honour" at the
Indian Television Academy Awards The Indian Television Academy Awards, also known as the ITA Awards, is an annual award ceremony organised by the Indian Television Academy to honour excellence in Hindi-language television, films and web content. The Indian Television Academ ...
. * In 2017, he was honoured with the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Nobel award at Mumbai. * In 2020, he was honoured with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the state of
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
in United States.


References


Explanatory notes


Citations


Sources

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External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dharmendra India MPs 2004–2009 1935 births Indian male film actors Indian actor-politicians Film producers from Mumbai Male actors in Hindi cinema Filmfare Awards winners Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winners Living people Politicians from Mumbai Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts People from Ludhiana district 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Male actors from Mumbai Hindi film producers Lok Sabha members from Rajasthan Producers who won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment National Film Award People from Punjab Province (British India) Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Rajasthan Punjabi Hindus Arya Samajis Indian Hindus