Dharmendra Biography

Dharmendra is an Indian film actor best known for his role in the hindi blockbuster movie ‘Sholay’ (1975). This biography of Dharmendra provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Image Credit

Quick Facts

Birthday: December 8, 1935

Nationality: Indian

Famous: Actors Indian Men

Age: 84 Years, 84 Year Old Males

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Born in: Nasrali

Famous as: Actor

Height: 5'10" (178 cm), 5'10" Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Hema Malini, Prakash Kaur

father: Kewal Kishan Singh Deol

mother: Satwant Kaur

siblings: Ajit Deol

children: Ahana Deol, Ajeita Deol, Bobby Deol, Esha Deol, Sunny Deol, Vijeta Deol

More Facts

awards: 1997 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
2012 - Padma Bhushan
1991 - Filmfare Award for Best Film - Ghayal

2011;2007 - IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award
2005 - Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
1991 - National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment - Ghayal
2012 - Indian Telly Award for Best Judge Panel - India's Got Talent
2010 - BIG Star Entertainer for 50 Years of Excellence in Film Industry
2004 - Zee Cine Award for Best Contribution to Indian Cinema
2008 - Stardust Award for Actor par excellence
2011 - ITA Scroll of Honour (Entertainment) Award
2011 - Guild Award for Lifetime Achievement

Continue Reading Below

Recommended For You

Identify Actors By Beard

Dharmendra is an Indian film actor best known for his role in the hindi blockbuster movie ‘Sholay’ (1975). One of the most respected veteran actors in Indian film industry, he is the recipient of the prestigious Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema. He was also honored with India's third highest civilian honor Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. At the peak of his career, he was considered to be among the most handsome actors in India with a huge female fan following. Born into a middle-class family in Punjab, he moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) as a young man looking for work. Good-looking and talented, he ventured into acting and was a romantic hero in several films during the 1960s. Eventually he got noticed for his well-built physique as well and promoted as an “action-hero”. His action movies too proved to be very successful and soon he received the opportunity to share screen space with some of the best known names in the Hindi film industry. He was catapulted to superstardom following the success of ‘Sholay’. Over the years he ventured into film production as well, and launched his sons Sunny and Bobby who went on to become successful actors in their own rights. He also has political interests and has been a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India.

Recommended Lists:

Indian Actors

Sagittarius Actors

Childhood & Early Life

Dharmendra was born as Dharam Singh Deol on 8 December 1935 in Nasrali, a village in Ludhiana district, Punjab, India, to Kewal Kishan Singh Deol and Satwant Kaur. His father was a school headmaster in the village of Lalton Kalan, Ludhiana.
His early years were spent in the village of Sahnewal and he received his education from Government Senior Secondary School at Lalton Kalan. He completed his intermediate education from Ramgarhia College, Phagwara in 1952.
Continue Reading Below

Recommended Lists:

Indian Film & Theater Personalities

Sagittarius Men

Top

Career

Young, well-built, and good-looking, he developed an interest in the show business and won the ‘Filmfare’ magazine's new talent award. Following this he decided to pursue an acting career and moved to Mumbai in search of better prospects.
He made his debut with Arjun Hingorani's ‘Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere’ in 1960. Soon other opportunities followed and he was cast in a romantic role in several films between 1960 and 1967. These include: ‘Soorat Aur Seerat’ (1962), ‘Anpadh’ (1962), ‘Bandini’ (1963), ‘Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya’ (1966) and ‘Dulhan Ek Raat Ki’ (1967).
The 1960s also marked his emergence as an action hero. The 1966 movie ‘Phool Aur Patthar’ was his first action film and he became established as an action hero following the success of the 1971 film ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh. By the mid-1970s, he was acclaimed as both a romantic lead and an action hero.
Dharmendra made a very successful on-screen pairing with actress Hema Malini who he would eventually marry. The couple starred together in many films including ‘Raja Jani’, ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, ‘Sharafat’, ‘Naya Zamana’, and ‘Sholay’. His role of Veeru in ‘Sholay’ is considered one of his best performances.
His streak of success continued throughout the 1970s and by the 1980s he was ready to venture into film production as well. He set up a production company known as Vijayta Films in 1983 and launched his son, Sunny Deol, as the lead actor in the movie ‘Betaab’. He also produced the movie ‘Ghayal’, also starring Sunny in 1990.
In 1995, Dharmendra launched his younger son, Bobby Deol, in ‘Barsaat’, which also starred Twinkle Khanna, daughter of veteran Bollywood actor Rajesh Khanna, in her debut film role. The movie was a hit and helped to establish Bobby as a successful actor in Hindi films.
After taking a hiatus from acting for a while, Dharmendra has returned to the big screen playing character roles in recent years. Some of his recent movies are ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’ (2011), ‘Singh Saab The Great’ (2013), ‘Double Di Trouble’ (2014), and ‘Second Hand Husband’ (2015).
He is also active in politics and was elected as a Member of the Parliament on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket in the 2004 general elections, from Bikaner in Rajasthan.

Top

Major Works

Dharmendra played the role of Veeru in the epic action-adventure film ‘Sholay’ which also had Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, and Sanjeev Kumar in pivotal roles. In 2005, the judges of the 50th Annual Filmfare Awards named ‘Sholay’ the Best Film of 50 Years and it was included in CNN-IBN's list of the "100 greatest Indian films of all time" in 2013.
His production, ‘Ghayal’, starring his son Sunny was a blockbuster. The film won seven Filmfare Awards, including the Best Movie award. The resounding success of the movie led to its remakes in the regional languages Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.

Top

Awards & Achievements

In 1991, as the producer of ‘Ghayal’ he won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
In 1997, Dharmendra received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema.
In 2005, he received the Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement, and in 2007, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF).
He was honored with India's third highest civilian honor Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2012.

Top

Personal Life & Legacy

Dharmendra married Parkash Kaur at the age of 19 in 1954. This marriage produced four children, including sons Sunny and Bobby who are also successful film actors.
He fell in love with Hema Malini, his co-star in several films and wanted to marry her. Since he did not want to divorce his first wife, he converted to Islam in 1979 and changed his name to Dilawar Khan. Then he married Hema Malini in 1980. The couple has two daughters, Isha Deol and Ahana Deol.

Top

Net Worth