Veteran actor Dharmendra, who passed away on Monday at 89, leaves behind one of Hindi cinema’s richest legacies. With over 300 films, he shaped the idea of a Hindi film hero across generations. From being an action hero, he could easily slip into a romantic lead. His coming timings are iconic too. Picking just five from such a massive filmography is almost unfair, but here are the standouts.
Sholay
The 1975 classic has just completed 50 years. Dharmendra’s Veeru, fun-loving, emotional and all heart, perfectly complemented Bachchan’s quiet, composed Jai.
Satyakam
Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1969 drama, adapted from Narayan Sanyal’s novel, is widely regarded as Dharmendra’s finest performance. As Satyapriya, he portrayed honesty, idealism and inner conflict with rare depth. The film went on to win the National Award for ‘Best Hindi Feature’.
Anupama
Dharmendra and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s first collaboration (1966) cast him as Ashok, a writer-teacher who gently helps Sharmila Tagore’s shy, approval-seeking Uma find her voice. Mukherjee later called Dharmendra his favourite actor and worked with him repeatedly.
Chupke Chupke
This evergreen comedy proved how naturally Dharmendra could make audiences laugh. As a mischievous professor pretending to be a driver, he delivered one of Bollywood’s most memorable comic turns.