Entertainment24 November, 20252 min read
Bollywood Legend Dharmendra Dies at 89
Died at his Mumbai residence on November 24, 2025, aged 89. Led a six-decade film career with more than 300 films.
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Dharmendra: death and tributes
Bollywood legend Dharmendra has died in Mumbai at the age of 89 following recent health problems and hospital visits. Several sources report he had been hospitalised earlier in November; EasternEye says he was admitted to Breach Candy hospital and was later found dead at his Mumbai residence. Deadline and TVC News note he had been unwell for several weeks and had been hospitalised before his death.
“Reports say he had been unwell for several weeks and was hospitalized before his death.”
The Hindu reports he died from age-related ailments. News outlets across regions describe his death as marking the end of an era in Indian cinema, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it "the end of an era."
Career and legacy highlights
Dharmendra's career and screen legacy are widely emphasized. Across sources he is remembered as a multigenre actor whose career spanned six decades. He became synonymous with the role of Veeru in 1975's Sholay.
Many pieces cite his work across romance, action and comedy. They note his enduring nicknames—"He-Man", "original He-Man" and "Garam Dharam"—which highlighted his on-screen masculinity and charm.
Coverage quantifies his filmography variably: some outlets say more than 300 films while others say over 250 films. All sources underline his central place in Hindi cinema and note honours such as the Padma Bhushan and a Filmfare lifetime award.
Dharmendra's career and honours
Reports highlight Dharmendra’s public life beyond acting, noting that he briefly served as a Member of Parliament. He received high civilian honours, including the Padma Bhushan and a Filmfare lifetime achievement award. He continued to work and appear in films into his late eighties.
“His final film, Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis (Twenty-one), is due for release next month.”
Several outlets note his last film, Ikkis (or Ikkis/Twenty-one), is due to be released posthumously. Many recall his role as a film producer that launched or featured his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol. Coverage underscores both his institutional recognition and his later turns into character and paternal roles.
Media coverage of Dharmendra
Coverage of Dharmendra's private life and controversies varies across outlets. Some pieces foreground his family and on-offscreen partnerships, while others also recount earlier personal controversies. Multiple outlets record his long partnership and later marriage to Hema Malini and his earlier marriage to Prakash Kaur.
France 24 and the Irish Examiner explicitly mention the reported controversy about marrying Malini while remaining legally married to his first wife. Several sources list his children — actors Sunny and Bobby Deol and daughters Esha and Ahana — as survivors.
Public tributes and reactions
The public response and tributes ranged from political leaders to film industry colleagues and fans, with scenes at the crematorium and widespread social media condolences. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the passing "the end of an era", and film figures including Karan Johar and Amitabh Bachchan paid tribute.
“Huge crowds gathered at the Vile Parle crematorium as family members — including wife Hema Malini and daughter Esha Deol — and numerous Bollywood stars... arrived for the funeral dressed in white...”
thenationalnews and Gulf News describe crowds and the arrival of many stars at the funeral grounds, while NDTV, Hindustan Times and Moneycontrol catalogued a wider array of condolences from politicians and actors. Coverage also records how the industry halted or postponed events and how fans gathered to celebrate his life.
