Veteran writer and journalist Ramesh Dhiman fondly remembers the legendary Bollywood icon Dharmendra, sharing an emotional and heartfelt tribute to the actor who ruled millions of hearts for over six decades. In his touching note, Dhiman recounts the deep admiration he held for the original He-Man of Indian cinema and revisits a cherished personal memory that reflects the warmth, humility, and larger-than-life presence of Dharmendra paaji.
My humble tribute to my HERO – the evergreen Dharmendra ‘paaji’!
In the passing of the original He-Man of Bollywood, Dharmendra, the film industry has lost an iconic star who ruled the hearts of teeming millions of his fans and admirers for more than six decades! His self deprecating smile, a cherubic glint in his misty eyes and, of course, his rugged persona made him stand out like a collosus among his peers in the industry! The ill-tidings of his demise came to me as the shot of a sledgehammer. It instantaneously took me a snappy trek down the memory lane.The year was 2012 and the ”Sholay’ star was in Chandigarh along with his two sons for Media interaction at Taj, Chandigarh. My son, then staff reporter with The Sunday Guardian, Chandigarh, who knew I was a hardcore Dharmendra fan, called me over the phone, to inform me that he had arranged a meeting with him, ahead of the Media interaction. I wasted no time and reached there in half an hour or so. As we both, along with two other journalists from prominent English dailies, entered the suite, it lit up with the august presence of the real hero,who stood up and gave us warm hugs and lots of blessings.The brief pow-wow lasted twenty minutes or so. As we got up to leave, we requested him to allow us to click pictures with him, which he gladly agreed to. When my son told him that I was his father and a great fan, he took me in a tight embrace! You will always reside in our hearts and souls, Dharmendra paaji! Rest in eternal peace!
