On hearing the name of veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra, images of action, romance and strong acting emerge before our eyes. But do you know that Dharmendra started his career in very difficult circumstances? Even today at the age of 88, the life of Dharmendra, who is active in films, was full of struggles. Spending his days eating gram and starting his Bollywood journey with Rs 51, it was the result of his hard work and dedication that today he is counted among the biggest stars of the industry.
Dharmendra’s early life and struggle
Dharmendra’s real name is Dharam Singh Deol and he was born on December 8, 1935 in Sahnewal village of Kapurthala district of Punjab. Since childhood, he was fond of wrestling and was far ahead in sports. However, his life’s path was not easy. He was not very good in his studies and was able to study only till high school.
Dharmendra’s life started as a clerk in the Railways before the glamor of Bollywood. His salary was only Rs 125 per month. Even after this, he never gave up and continued his struggle to make a place for himself in Bollywood.
Filmfare talent hunt and period of struggle
Dharmendra started his acting career in 1958. He entered the film industry by becoming the winner in the talent hunt competition organized by Filmfare. But in the beginning he had to face a lot of difficulties. Many times, he had to spend his days eating gram due to hunger. Dharmendra, who used to fill his stomach sometimes with gram and sometimes with Isabgol, spent his days in great struggles.
There is an incident of Dharmendra when once he and his friends were living in Juhu and they were troubled by hunger. One day, after seeing a packet of Isabgol kept on his friend’s table, he ate the entire packet, due to which his health deteriorated and he had to go to the doctor. This incident symbolized the struggle he faced in his early days.
Dharmendra’s films and success
There were many such films in Dharmendra’s career which made him a star. Films like ‘Satyakam’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Dharamveer’, ‘Bandini’, ‘Anupama’, ‘Jugnu’, and ‘Chupke-Chupke’ became witness to his acting. The character of Veeru played by him in ‘Sholay’ immortalized him. He continued to prove his acting prowess not only in Hindi films but also in Punjabi films.
In 1991, Dharmendra achieved success as a producer with his film ‘Ghayal’. This film also received the Filmfare Award. Apart from this, in 1997 he was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. In view of his contribution, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2012.
Dharmendra’s family and personal life
Dharmendra’s personal life has also been quite interesting. He is the father of actors Sunny and Bobby Deol, who are big names in Bollywood today. Dharmendra was first married to Prakash Kaur, and later married Hema Malini.
Dharmendra also contested the MP election from Bikaner on BJP ticket from 2004 to 2009, but he did not get much success in politics. Regarding his experience in politics, he had said that he was not much interested in politics, and he only wanted to do acting.
Even today Dharmendra rules the hearts of the audience.
Even today, Dharmendra’s star power is the same as it was in the initial days of his career. In 2011, he appeared in the film ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’ with his two sons Sunny and Bobby. His magic continues even today and he remains in the hearts of viewers of every generation. Dharmendra’s life proves that any position can be achieved with hard work, struggle and dedication. Dharmendra’s story inspires us to never give up.
