Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra, the legendary ‘He-Man’ of Hindi cinema, passed away at the age of 89 at his Juhu residence after a prolonged illness, leaving fans and the film industry deeply mourning his loss. Before his demise, he had shared a rare, unseen black-and-white photograph of himself taken during a 1958 Filmfare Talent Contest. The picture, gifted by Anwar, the grandson of the original photographer Jaan Mohammed, captured the actor long before he stepped into the world of cinema.
A photo , which was still with Anwar ….grandson of Jaan Mohammed who clicked my photos for Filmfare talent contest…. …..Today Anwar came to meet me and showed this left out photo….. i grabbed it to show this to you all. Hope you like it. pic.twitter.com/NfQPJXtE1i
— Dharmendra Deol (@aapkadharam) January 16, 2023
He recalled that the contest brought him his big break, with legendary director Bimal Roy spotting his potential and Dev Anand personally encouraging him. Although the film he was first supposed to debut in never materialised, he eventually made his acting debut in Arjun Hingorani’s Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere in 1960.
Dharmendra’s Legacy Lives On
The tragedy deepens with the fact that his next film, Ikkis, released its motion poster the same day. Dharmendra, who worked in over 300 films and shaped Indian cinema for six decades, leaves behind an irreplaceable void.
