Dharmendra Singh Deol (Hindi: धर्मेंद्र सिंह देओल, Punjabi: ਧਰਮਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਿਉਲ, born 8 December 1935 in Nasrali, Ludhiana (India)|Punjab, better known as Dharmendra, is an award-winning Hindi film actor who has appeared in more than 247 Hindi-language films as of 2011. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema and also another Lifetime achievement Award at the 2007 IIFA Awards.[1]
He is often referred to as the "He-Man" as well as the "Action King" of Hindi cinema having starred in numerous action films and is considered a living legend. He is father of actors Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and Esha Deol. At the peak of his film career he was considered the most handsome actor in Bollywood and a matinée idol. He was the main lead of the all-time blockbuster film, Sholay (1975) and also went on to star in numerous successful Bollywood films cutting across five decades. Dharmendra has thus established himself as one of the most prominent figures in the history of hindi cinema.[2]
In 2012, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.[3] He was also a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India, representing Bikaner constituency in Rajasthan from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Phool Aur Paththar became the highest grossing film of 1966 and Dharmendra received his first Filmfare nomination for Best Actor.[10] He formed a very successful pairing with actresses like Meena Kumari, Saira Banu, Sharmila Tagore, Mumtaz, Asha Parekh, Rekha, Zeenat Aman and Hema Malini. His most successful pairing was with Hema Malini, who went on to become his future wife.[7] They formed a hit pair delivering phenomenal hits like, Raja Jani, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawaan, Jugnu, Dost, Charas, Maa, Chacha Bhatija, Azaad, and Sholay. The critically acclaimed 1980 film, The Burning Train also saw the Dharam-Hema chemistry in full flight.
His most notable acting performance was Satyakam with Hrishikesh Mukherjee[11] and Sholay, where he appeared as the inimitable Veeru.[9] Sholay went on to become the biggest hit in the history of Hindi cinema and is listed by Indiatimes as one of the "Top 25 must see Bollywood films of all time".[12] In 2005, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards awarded Sholay with the special distinction award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years. Dharmendra went on to star in numerous successful Bollywood films in the 1970s and 80s like Pratigya, Dharam Veer, Charas, Azaad, Katilon Ke Kaatil, Ghazab, Bhagawat, Dharam Aur Kanoon, Hukumat, Raaj Tilak, Watan Ke Rakhwale, Aag Hi Aag, Ghulami, Hathyar and Loha.
He has worked with various directors, each having different styles in their film-making, like Bimal Roy and Mohan Kumar in drama films, Yash Chopra and Raghunath Jhalani in romance films, Raj Khosla, Ramesh Sippy, Arjun Hingorani, Anil Sharma and Rajkumar Santoshi in action films and Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee and Rajkumar Kohli in comedy films.[13] He also has the distinction of appearing in quite a few films opposite actresses who have also starred opposite his son Sunny Deol. Notable amongst those are Sridevi in Naaka Bandi, Jaya Prada in Elaan-E-Jung, Dimple Kapadia in Shehzaade, Amrita Singh in Sachai Ki Taaqat, Kimi Katkar in Humlaa and Poonam Dhillon in Sone Pe Suhaaga.[14]
He has also periodically done films in his native tongue of Punjabi, starring in Do Sher (1974), Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam (1974), Teri Meri Ik Jindri (1975), Putt Jattan De (1982) and Qurbani Jatt Di (1990). Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he continued to appear in many more films playing leading roles or supporting roles. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. While receiving the award from Dilip Kumar and his wife Saira Banu, Dharmendra became emotional and remarked that he never received any Filmfare award in the Best Actor category despite having worked in so many successful films and nearly a hundred popular movies. He was glad that his contributions had finally been recognized.[15] Speaking on the occasion Dilip Kumar commented, "Whenever I get to meet with God Almighty I will set before Him my only complaint-why did You not make me as handsome as Dharmendra?".[16]
He has experimented with film production; he launched both of his sons in films: Sunny Deol in Betaab (1983) and Bobby Deol in Barsaat (1995) as well as his nephew Abhay Deol in Socha Na Tha (2005).[17] In one of her interviews, actress Preity Zinta has been quoted as saying that Dharmendra is her favourite actor. She went on to recommend him to play her father's role in Har Pal (2008).[18]
After a few years hiatus from acting since the early 2000s, he is reappearing in films as a character actor. His 2007 films Life in a... Metro and Apne were both critically and commercially successful at the box office. In the latter, he appears with both his sons, Sunny and Bobby for the first time.[19] His other release was Johnny Gaddaar, where he played a villainous role. His latest film Yamla Pagla Deewana co-starring his sons Sunny and Bobby was released on January 14, 2011.[20]
In 2011, Dharmendra replaced Sajid Khan as the male judge of the third series of popular reality show India's Got Talent.[21] On 29 July 2011, India's Got Talent aired on Colors with Dharmendra as the new judge and surpassed the opening ratings of the previous two seasons.[22]
All India Jat Mahasabha Centenary Celebrations 2007, Seen in the image are Dharmendra, Dara Singh and Kamal Patel
Dharmendra has also been active in politics. He was elected as a Member of the Parliament in the 2004 general elections, from Bikaner in Rajasthan, on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. During his election campaign, he made an ironic remark that he should be elected Dictator Perpetuus[23] to teach "basic etiquette that democracy requires" for which he was severely criticized.[24]
Dharmendra rarely attended the Parliament when the house was in
session, preferring to spend the time shooting for movies or doing
farm-work at his farm house.[2] Producer
In 1983 Deol set up a production company known as Vijayta Films. Its first film was Betaab. The film was released in 1983, starring his son Sunny Deol as the lead actor in his debut movie. The film was blockbuster. In 1990 he produced the action flick Ghayal starring his son Sunny Deol. The film won seven Filmfare Awards, including the Best Movie Award. It also won National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. He also launched his younger son Bobby Deol's in 1995 through Barsaat and his nephew Abhay Deol in 2005 through Socha Na Tha.[26 Personal life
Dharmendra maintained two relationships at the same time. His first marriage was to Prakash Kaur at the age of 19 in 1954. His second marriage was with actress Hema Malini. It is believed that they fell in love on the sets of film Sholay (1975) although they had made films together before.[27] He married Hema while he was still married to his first wife Prakash Kaur.[28][29][30]
From his first marriage, he has two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol both successful actors, and two daughters, Vijeeta and Ajeeta. From his second marriage to Hema Malini, Dharmendra has two daughters Esha Deol, who is an actress and Ahana Deol.
Dharmendra has gone on record saying he does not believe that the Mumbai film industry is a place suitable for girls. He was unperturbed by his sons Sunny and Bobby joining the industry, but was vocal about his displeasure regarding his daughter Esha's choice of profession.[29]
He is often referred to as the "He-Man" as well as the "Action King" of Hindi cinema having starred in numerous action films and is considered a living legend. He is father of actors Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol and Esha Deol. At the peak of his film career he was considered the most handsome actor in Bollywood and a matinée idol. He was the main lead of the all-time blockbuster film, Sholay (1975) and also went on to star in numerous successful Bollywood films cutting across five decades. Dharmendra has thus established himself as one of the most prominent figures in the history of hindi cinema.[2]
In 2012, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.[3] He was also a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India, representing Bikaner constituency in Rajasthan from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Film career
Dharmendra won the Filmfare new talent award and came to Mumbai from Punjab looking for work.[6] Starting with Arjun Hingorani's Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960),[7][8] he worked in several romantic black and white films in the early 1960s, hitting solo hero stardom with the blockbuster, Phool Aur Patthar (1966). At the start of his career, he was usually cast as a romantic hero and later in the period from 1974 onwards as an action hero.[9] He starred with several leading actresses at the beginning of his career. He worked with Nutan in Soorat Aur Seerat (1962) and Bandini (1963), Mala Sinha in Anpadh (1962) and Pooja Ke Phool (1964), Saira Banu in Shaadi (1962) and Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964) and with Meena Kumari in Main Bhi Ladki Hoon (1964), Kaajal (1965), Poornima (1965) and Phool Aur Paththar (1966).Phool Aur Paththar became the highest grossing film of 1966 and Dharmendra received his first Filmfare nomination for Best Actor.[10] He formed a very successful pairing with actresses like Meena Kumari, Saira Banu, Sharmila Tagore, Mumtaz, Asha Parekh, Rekha, Zeenat Aman and Hema Malini. His most successful pairing was with Hema Malini, who went on to become his future wife.[7] They formed a hit pair delivering phenomenal hits like, Raja Jani, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawaan, Jugnu, Dost, Charas, Maa, Chacha Bhatija, Azaad, and Sholay. The critically acclaimed 1980 film, The Burning Train also saw the Dharam-Hema chemistry in full flight.
His most notable acting performance was Satyakam with Hrishikesh Mukherjee[11] and Sholay, where he appeared as the inimitable Veeru.[9] Sholay went on to become the biggest hit in the history of Hindi cinema and is listed by Indiatimes as one of the "Top 25 must see Bollywood films of all time".[12] In 2005, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards awarded Sholay with the special distinction award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years. Dharmendra went on to star in numerous successful Bollywood films in the 1970s and 80s like Pratigya, Dharam Veer, Charas, Azaad, Katilon Ke Kaatil, Ghazab, Bhagawat, Dharam Aur Kanoon, Hukumat, Raaj Tilak, Watan Ke Rakhwale, Aag Hi Aag, Ghulami, Hathyar and Loha.
He has worked with various directors, each having different styles in their film-making, like Bimal Roy and Mohan Kumar in drama films, Yash Chopra and Raghunath Jhalani in romance films, Raj Khosla, Ramesh Sippy, Arjun Hingorani, Anil Sharma and Rajkumar Santoshi in action films and Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee and Rajkumar Kohli in comedy films.[13] He also has the distinction of appearing in quite a few films opposite actresses who have also starred opposite his son Sunny Deol. Notable amongst those are Sridevi in Naaka Bandi, Jaya Prada in Elaan-E-Jung, Dimple Kapadia in Shehzaade, Amrita Singh in Sachai Ki Taaqat, Kimi Katkar in Humlaa and Poonam Dhillon in Sone Pe Suhaaga.[14]
He has also periodically done films in his native tongue of Punjabi, starring in Do Sher (1974), Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam (1974), Teri Meri Ik Jindri (1975), Putt Jattan De (1982) and Qurbani Jatt Di (1990). Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he continued to appear in many more films playing leading roles or supporting roles. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. While receiving the award from Dilip Kumar and his wife Saira Banu, Dharmendra became emotional and remarked that he never received any Filmfare award in the Best Actor category despite having worked in so many successful films and nearly a hundred popular movies. He was glad that his contributions had finally been recognized.[15] Speaking on the occasion Dilip Kumar commented, "Whenever I get to meet with God Almighty I will set before Him my only complaint-why did You not make me as handsome as Dharmendra?".[16]
He has experimented with film production; he launched both of his sons in films: Sunny Deol in Betaab (1983) and Bobby Deol in Barsaat (1995) as well as his nephew Abhay Deol in Socha Na Tha (2005).[17] In one of her interviews, actress Preity Zinta has been quoted as saying that Dharmendra is her favourite actor. She went on to recommend him to play her father's role in Har Pal (2008).[18]
After a few years hiatus from acting since the early 2000s, he is reappearing in films as a character actor. His 2007 films Life in a... Metro and Apne were both critically and commercially successful at the box office. In the latter, he appears with both his sons, Sunny and Bobby for the first time.[19] His other release was Johnny Gaddaar, where he played a villainous role. His latest film Yamla Pagla Deewana co-starring his sons Sunny and Bobby was released on January 14, 2011.[20]
[edit] Television
Early life
He was born in a sikh Jaat family Punjab state to Kewal Kishan Deol[4] and Satwant Kaur. He spent his early life in Phagwara, Kapurthala. His father was a school headmaster in the village of Lalton Ludhiana, where the family later moved.[5]Political
In 1983 Deol set up a production company known as Vijayta Films. Its first film was Betaab. The film was released in 1983, starring his son Sunny Deol as the lead actor in his debut movie. The film was blockbuster. In 1990 he produced the action flick Ghayal starring his son Sunny Deol. The film won seven Filmfare Awards, including the Best Movie Award. It also won National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. He also launched his younger son Bobby Deol's in 1995 through Barsaat and his nephew Abhay Deol in 2005 through Socha Na Tha.[26 Personal life
Dharmendra maintained two relationships at the same time. His first marriage was to Prakash Kaur at the age of 19 in 1954. His second marriage was with actress Hema Malini. It is believed that they fell in love on the sets of film Sholay (1975) although they had made films together before.[27] He married Hema while he was still married to his first wife Prakash Kaur.[28][29][30]
From his first marriage, he has two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol both successful actors, and two daughters, Vijeeta and Ajeeta. From his second marriage to Hema Malini, Dharmendra has two daughters Esha Deol, who is an actress and Ahana Deol.
Dharmendra has gone on record saying he does not believe that the Mumbai film industry is a place suitable for girls. He was unperturbed by his sons Sunny and Bobby joining the industry, but was vocal about his displeasure regarding his daughter Esha's choice of profession.[29]
