Dharmendra, fondly known as the He-Man of Indian cinema, passed away on Monday (November 24) at the age of 89, leaving the film fraternity and fans across generations in deep mourning. As tributes poured in from all corners of the country, veteran actor Mukesh Khanna shared a heartfelt remembrance of the veteran star, including a touching anecdote narrated to him by Bobby Deol.
‘I met Sunny and Bobby just days before… they had set up an ICU at home’
In a video message on his YouTube channel, Mukesh Khanna revealed that he had visited the Deol residence barely a few days before Dharmendra’s demise.“I had gone to their home just five or six days ago, right after he was brought back from the hospital. They had set up an ICU-like arrangement inside the house itself. I knew I wouldn’t be able to meet him properly, but I still felt it was important to go,” he said.Khanna shared that he met Sunny and Bobby Deol during this visit. “I told them, ‘He is very strong. He will come out of this… he will get through this problem.’ But in the end, whatever God wills is what happens.”Calling Dharmendra’s passing an act of destiny, he added, “People were shocked because everyone believed he was strong enough to recover. His body gave up, but the soul moves on. And he truly had a beautiful soul.”
‘His simplicity and humility set him apart’
Mukesh Khanna remembered Dharmendra as a man whose warmth and humility remained unchanged throughout his life.“I have many memories with him—also from Tahalka. His simplicity and humility were his biggest strengths. Even in his final months, when he wasn’t feeling well, his face still shone with positivity. You look at him and feel, ‘Such a good human being has left us,’” he said.Khanna emphasised that while great actors come and go, Dharmendra’s humanity made him irreplaceable. “I won’t say he was the greatest actor, but he was one of the greatest human beings. The extent to which he made people feel comfortable… very few actors can do that.”
Bobby Deol’s story: ‘Our house was always open—people from Punjab would walk straight in’
Khanna then recounted an incident shared with him by Bobby Deol—a story he believes defines Dharmendra’s unmatched warmth and openness.“Bobby told me that once, at their bungalow, he stepped out of his room on the second floor and found a stranger roaming around. When he asked who he was, the man said, ‘We’ve come from Punjab, sir. We want to meet Dharam paaji.’”Bobby simply told the man to come downstairs.Highlighting how unusual such openness is today, Khanna said, “Who today allows someone to enter the compound without security? This man had reached the second floor! Bobby told me, ‘My father always kept the house open. So many people from Punjab would come. He let everyone enter, meet him, have tea, and leave.’ Tell me—what actor does that today?”He added that while today’s stars rely heavily on bouncers and security, Dharmendra needed none. “He had so much humanity in him that no one would dare misbehave around him.”
‘Dharam ji danced like a man, fought like a man’
Khanna also reflected on Dharmendra’s early days and his distinct presence on screen.“He had a rugged, athletic look—different from the actors of that era. His simplicity, his bright eyes, his goodness carried him forward.”Praising his natural style, he said, “Dharam ji danced like a man—with a raw, masculine charm. And when he performed action, it looked real. Today’s superstars fight on wires. Dharam ji’s punch felt like a real punch.”He further added that Sunny Deol’s iconic “dhai kilo ka haath” inherited its power from his father. “That raw, effortless strength came from Dharam ji.”
Bollywood attends Dharmendra’s prayer meet
The film industry came together on Thursday to honour Dharmendra at his “Celebration of Life” prayer meet at Taj Lands End, Bandra. Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar, Rekha, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan, Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty and many others attended to pay their respects. Sunny and Bobby Deol, along with Dharmendra’s first family—including daughters Ajeeta and Vijeta, grandsons Karan and Rajveer, and nephew Abhay Deol—stood visibly emotional throughout. Hema Malini and daughters Esha and Ahaana Deol were not present.Also in attendance were Mukesh Khanna, Subhash Ghai, Sidharth Malhotra, Ameesha Patel, Fardeen Khan, Abbas-Mastan and several others, who gathered to remember the legendary star who defined an era of Indian cinema.
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