Mumbai, Nov 25: Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan paid an emotional tribute to veteran actor Dharmendra, who passed away on Monday at the age of 89 after a prolonged illness. Calling him “another valiant giant” of Indian cinema, Bachchan said the actor’s death has created an “unbearable silence”.
Dharmendra, one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved stars, died at his Juhu residence on November 24. The two icons starred together in several classics, most memorably the 1975 blockbuster Sholay, where Dharmendra played Veeru alongside Bachchan’s Jai, immortalising their on-screen brotherhood.
In a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter), Bachchan wrote:
“… another valiant Giant has left us… left the arena… leaving behind a silence with an unbearable sound. Dharam ji… the epitome of greatness, not only for his physical presence, but for the largeness of his heart and its most endearing simplicity.”
Bachchan, who attended the actor’s last rites along with his son Abhishek and grandson Agastya Nanda, said Dharmendra remained “unsoiled” throughout a career that spanned over six decades, even as the film industry underwent constant change.
In a longer blog post, he wrote that Dharmendra carried with him the “earthiness of his village in Punjab” and stayed rooted despite superstardom.
“He remained true to his temperament… unsoiled throughout his glorious career, in a fraternity that witnessed changes every decade. The fraternity underwent changes… not him,” Bachchan noted.
Remembering Dharmendra’s unmatched charm, he added,
“His smile, his warmth extended to all who came in his vicinity — a rarity in our profession. The air around us now swings vacant. A vacuum that shall ever remain.”
Dharmendra’s upcoming film “Ikkis”, where Agastya Nanda plays his son, is expected to be one of his final screen appearances.
The industry continues to pour in tributes for the ‘He-Man’ of Indian cinema, whose legacy spans iconic films such as Sholay, Chupke Chupke, Satyakam, Seeta Aur Geeta, and Phool Aur Patthar.
