DYK Dharmendra Was A Filmfare Discovery? The Rest They Say, Is History

Dharmendra

is dead. The legendary Bollywood icon was 89. The OG He-Man of Hidi cinema, Dharmendra made his film debut in 1960 with Arjun Hingorani's romantic drama Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere. He would go on to receive wider fame with a slew of Hrishikesh Mukherjee films as well as Ramesh Sippy's Sholay. But do you know how Dharmendra entered Bollywood?Dharmendra arrived in Bollywood in 1958. The winner of Filmfare magazine's first ever talent hunt, he was already married to Prakash Kaur and the father to children before entering Bollywood. His smart looks caught the eye of Arjun Higorani and the rest was a 55-year-long career in cinema.

Dharmendra worked in more than 300 films in an extensive career which also saw him deliver seven consecutive hits and nine successful movies in a single year which is still a record in the history of Hindi cinema. A Padma Bhushan awardee, his breakthrough role was the 10964 Ayee Milan Ki Bela. Interestingly, the film had him play an antagonist. However, he had already cemented his place in the audience's heart. And even though he received a nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor category for the film, he would go on to become one of the most successful leading men of Hindi cinema with films Haqeeqat, Phool Aur Patthar, Anupama, Chupke Chupke and of course Sholay.Also Read: Remembering Dharmendra: The Eternal He-Man Of Bollywood Also Read: Remembering Dharmendra: The Eternal He-Man Of BollywoodWhat made Dharmendra successful was not just his movies, but the fact that he survived an industry that thrives on change. He started his career in the sixties contending with the likes of Shammi Kapoor before finding a footing of his own despite Rajesh Khanna's towering success. Even Amitabh Bachchan's Angry Young Man of the 1970s could not dim his aura. Father to actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, he is often considered to be one of the most bankable stars since most of his films earned big bucks, even if they were made on a shoestring budget.In 1997, Dharmendra received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. And while the actor had never won a Filmfare Award for Best Actor, the ball for his superstardom was set rolling by the same magazine which was launched in 1952.While the world bids adieu to the legend, Dharmendra will be seen posthumously in Maddock Films' latest Ikkis, where he will portray Agastya Nanda's father. The film releases on December 25.