Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Honey Rani, Kajol reach Dharmendra’s house to offer condolences

Mumbai, Nov 24 (IANS) After the cremation of the late actor Dharmendra, several bigwigs of Bollywood arrived at the house of the actor to offer their condolences to the grieving family.

Farhan Akhtar, the son of Javed Akhtar, who co-wrote ‘Sholay’ with Salim Khan, arrived at the house with his sister Zoya Akhtar and their mother Honey Rani were seen arriving at the house of the late actor.

Interestingly, Salim Khan, who co-wrote ‘Sholay’ with Javed Akhtar, has his birthday on Monday, the day when Dharmendra departed. The legendary writer was earlier seen at the Pawan Hans crematorium in the Vile Parle area of Mumbai during the cremation of Dharmendra.

Actress Kajol, senior actor Sanjay Khan, his son Zayed Khan, veteran actress Rekha, actress Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra were also seen at his house.

Dharmendra was one of Bollywood’s most enduring and beloved stars. He was born in 1935 in Punjab, and began his career in the early 1960s, after he was discovered through a talent hunt competition. In the late 1950s, Filmfare magazine, in collaboration with Bimal Roy Productions, organized a nationwide talent contest to find new faces for Hindi cinema.

He entered the competition and was selected as the winner in 1958, chosen for his striking looks and natural charm. This victory opened the door to the film industry for him. The same talent hunt would later go on to discover Rajesh Khanna, one of Hindi cinema’s biggest superstars.

Dharmendra quickly rose to fame with his charming looks, emotional depth, and effortless screen presence. His versatility allowed him to excel in romance, action, and comedy alike. Some of his most iconic films include ‘Phool Aur Patthar’, which established him as a leading man, and ‘Sholay’, where his portrayal of the lovable, witty Veeru became legendary.

Dharmendra was a recipient of Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award of India.

–IANS

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