Bollywood legend Dharmendra passed away on November 24 at the age of 89 following a battle with age-related illness. The news of his death was confirmed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called it an “end of an era in Indian cinema”. Soon, tributes started pouring in for the actor and several actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, among others, attended the actor’s funeral held at the Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle, Mumbai.
‘You were a father figure to me’
Shah Rukh Khan has also paid an emotional tribute to the actor on social media, adding that the actor was a father figure to him.
“Rest in Peace Dharam ji,” wrote SRK on X (formerly Twitter), before adding, “You were nothing short of a father figure to me….”
He further said, “Thank you for showering me with blessings and love the way you did. An inconsolable and irreplaceable loss to not just his family, but to cinema and film lovers world over.”
SRK ended his emotional post by honouring Dharmendra’s legacy and his lasting contribution to Indian cinema
“You are immortal… and your soul will live through your films and your beautiful family forever. Love you always,” he concluded his social media post.
Rest in Peace Dharam ji. You were nothing short of a father figure to me… thank u for showering me with blessings and love the way you did. An inconsolable and irreplaceable loss to not just his family, but to cinema and film lovers world over. You are immortal… and your soul… pic.twitter.com/Vsxe8C8qVZ
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) November 24, 2025
Alongside, he shared a picture of himself with the actor, where both of them are all smiles.
Dharmendra dies at 89
Dharmendra had been under medical supervision at home after being discharged from Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, where he was admitted due to breathlessness. Although he received weeks of treatment and was allowed to return home on November 12, he was under observation.
On Monday afternoon, an ambulance was spotted leaving his residence, signalling a medical emergency. Soon after, his son Sunny Deol, daughter Esha Deol, and wife Hema Malini were photographed arriving at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai. The actor passed away just days before his 90th birthday. The news of his demise came just hours after the first-look poster of his upcoming film Ikkis went viral on social media.
