Alvida Garam Dharam…

~Hafizur Rahaman

Just 14 days before his 90th birthday, which was due on December 8, Dharmendra passed away.

He was admitted to the hospital because he was having difficulty breathing. The ‘Godi Media’ (mainstream media) enthusiastically declared his death prematurely. His sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol, were annoyed and condemned the press for proclaiming a living person dead in their over-enthusiasm. When the actual event occurred, Dharmendra’s final rites were carried out silently and secretly, before anyone could know. Although Bollywood covers many things, I never had the opportunity to witness a celebrity’s death, so I lack experience in this matter. However, in films, when a star dies, the focus shifts more to the over-enthusiasm to capture photos of who attends the funeral rather than the death itself.

Bobby and Sunny did not want their father’s death to become a spectacle, so they boycotted the ‘Godi Media’.

Dharmendra’s entry into the world of cinema is like a film story itself. As a teenager, Dharmendra watched his first film, featuring Dilip Kumar’s Shaheed. That film influenced the young Dharmendra so much that he decided to become a film star. He would look into the mirror and question himself if he would become Dilip Kumar in the future.

The young man was not focused on studies. His father was a teacher, so he confided his secret wish to his mother. Not wanting to break her son’s heart, his mother silently gave him her saved money. Soon, an opportunity arose for acting in Bombay. There was a competition. Dharmendra went to his friend’s studio, took some photos, filled out the form, and sent it to Bombay.

He received a call from Bombay. There, Eklavya Dharmendra, taking inspiration from his guru Dilip Kumar, auditioned and secured the number one position, leaving all other competitors from the country behind. Thus began his film journey in 1958.

Initially, he did not achieve much success, but then he got the opportunity to act opposite the famous actress Meena Kumari. It was through her that he received an opportunity to act, following Dilip Kumar’s suggestion. Their film, Phool Aur Patthar, was a massive hit. His shirt-off image in that film instantly made him the ‘He-Man’. And those who had advised him to quit acting and pursue wrestling were forced to accept his acting career. Meena Kumari also helped the newcomer actor secure roles in several films. From that point on, Dharmendra gifted one hit after another, cementing his place in the film industry.

Because he remained grounded, he was not swept away by the Rajesh Khanna wave of the seventies. Instead, he delivered back-to-back hits. He changed his strategy from romantic films and successfully captivated the audience by acting in action and comedy genres.

Despite acting for nearly six decades, luck was not in his favor regarding awards. He received a Filmfare trophy towards the end of his life, from the hands of his idol, Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar was very affectionate towards Dharmendra, and once said that if God sent Adam with a physique like Dharmendra’s, he would have been happy. 25th November, the poster for his upcoming film Ikkis was released. Unfortunately, he did not get to see it. Director Sriram Raghavan announced that Ikkis will be released during the upcoming Christmas holiday. Besides this, two other films are awaiting release.

As far as I know, there are about three more films that have been pending for a long time. Now, they might be released to capitalize on people’s emotions.

With a heavy heart, I will conclude without saying much more, using a line from his film Black Mail:

“Pal pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho, jeevan meethi pyaas yeh kehti ho…”