MUMBAI (AFP)
India's hugely popular Bollywood star Dharmendra, who was equally at ease in romantic comedies and high-octane action blockbusters, died aged 89 on Monday.
"The passing of Dharmendra Ji marks the end of an era in Indian cinema," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on social media.
"He was an iconic film personality, a phenomenal actor who brought charm and depth to every role he played."
The actor had not been well recently and was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai.
Over a remarkable six-decade career, Dharmendra appeared in more than 250 films, served as a member of parliament, and was honoured with one of India's highest civilian awards.
In the 1980s, Dharmendra starred in a string of action movies, earning him the nickname "He-Man".
The most iconic role of his career was arguably the lovable rogue Veeru that he played in the 1975 classic "Sholay" ("Embers").
The father of six also dabbled in production, with movies starring his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol.
His last film will be Sriram Raghavan's "Ikkis" ("Twenty-one") which is set for release next month.
Born Dharam Singh Deol on December 8, 1935 in Punjab, Dharmendra moved to Mumbai in 1958 after winning a celebrity magazine's talent competition.
"I only had my dreams," he told biographer Rajiv Vijayakar. "I was an untutored villager, with no idea of acting."
His matinee-idol looks quickly caught the eye of producers, and he made his screen debut in 1960 with the melodrama "Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere" ("My Heart is Yours, As am I").
Over the years, Dharmendra shared the screen with leading stars including Nutan, Meena Kumari, and Sharmila Tagore, but his most enduring partnership was with Hema Malini, Bollywood's first woman superstar.
Their irresistible chemistry in films such as the 1972 hit "Seeta Aur Geeta" ("Seeta and Geeta") and the 1975 blockbuster "Sholay" ("Embers") blossomed into a real-life romance.
In the 1980s, Dharmendra starred in a string of action movies, earning him the nickname "He-Man".
In his later years, Dharmendra retreated to his farm, where he shared videos with his hundreds of thousands of social media followers of himself tending crops and caring for cows.
Despite his fame, he often spoke with humility about his career.
"I was always dissatisfied with the way I looked on screen," he said in a 2011 interview with Bollywood site Glamsham. "I always used to ask my directors for reshoots, saying I am not looking good from this angle or that angle."