Veteran actor Dharmendra passed away this month at the age of 89. He had been dealing with health issues for some time and had been receiving medical attention. He was even hospitalised in Mumbai for some days, concerning fans and well-wishers. The Bollywood actor passed away a few days after being discharged. Director Anil Sharma, who has been close to the Deols for years, reflected on Dharmendra’s legacy and revealed how he was always willing to help people.
Speaking to Vickey Lalwani, Anil Sharma recalled, “Dharam ji has done a film with every single person, and he has done all types of films. He has helped so many people. People used to ask him to do scenes for their Punjabi films after 9 pm, once he was done with his schedule.”
He added,
“They used to say, ‘Paaji, mera ghar chal jayega, meri picture bik jayegi’ (My movie will be able to sell, and I’ll be able to run my household). Dharam ji used to do all those films for free, and he used to tell them to come wherever he was shooting and work with them for a couple of hours.”
In the same conversation, Anil Sharma also recounted Dharmendra’s last moments and said, “I went to his home. He had recovered. He would open his eyes and even move his hands. He was recovering, and doctors were saying that Dharamji bahut strong aadmi hain (Doctors said he is a very strong man).”
Anil Sharma said that the doctors were convinced that he would recover. He said, “Doctors assured us he would recover, and even in the hospital, it looked like he would. But age shows its signs, and you can’t fight that. Everyone was hopeful, and we all thought we would celebrate his birthday on 8 December.”
For the unversed, Dharmendra had been admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital earlier this month due to reported breathlessness. He was discharged on November 12 as he was on his way to recovery. Doctors said that Dharmendra would continue his treatment at home and that there was no cause for concern. The veteran actor passed away on November 24, just a few weeks before his 90th birthday in December.
Dharmendra’s prayer meet was held on November 27. In a poster that the family released on Wednesday, they revealed that the prayer meet for the actor, who passed away on November 24, was held from 5 pm to 7:30 pm at a hotel in Mumbai. The poster featured a picture of Dharmendra from his younger days and read, ‘Celebration Of Life’.
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