Legendary actor Dharmendra dies at 89 at his Mumbai home, marking the end of an era in Hindi cinema. The news came from his Mumbai home on November 24, just weeks before his 90th birthday. He had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital earlier this month with respiratory issues, and while his family stayed close through the uncertainty, the end arrived with the gentleness one associates with a life fully lived. His final appearance on screen will be in Ikkis, scheduled for release on December 25, almost like a last wave from a man who shaped the emotional weather of Hindi cinema for more than six decades.
The iconic stories about Dharmendra often begin on screen, but the more interesting ones begin much earlier. Born Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol in Sahnewal, a small village in Ludhiana district, his childhood gave no hint of the empire he would one day build. He married Prakash Kaur in 1954, at the age of nineteen, long before the world knew his name. The move to Mumbai, the Filmfare Talent Contest he won, and the first film Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere in 1960 — these have become familiar markers in the telling of his life. The Rs 51 he earned for that debut was hardly enough to support the dreams he carried, yet it became the seed from which a remarkable fortune slowly grew.
His climb was swift and steady. Phool Aur Patthar in 1966 made him a star. Films like Satyakam, Mera Gaon Mera Desh and the perennial Sholay turned him into an institution. Audiences loved him for his warmth and easy charm; directors admired his versatility. But away from the sets, Dharmendra began quietly shaping a second life for himself — one built not on applause, but on patience. Over the decades, he created an extensive investment portfolio that eventually became as legendary as his filmography.
Real estate was at the heart of this world. Dharmendra bought land not as a status symbol but as something that grounded him. His 100-acre farmhouse in Lonavala became both refuge and passion project. It was where he spent much of his time in recent years, tending to the soil, working with crops, and dreaming up ideas for a luxury resort with nearly thirty cottages. The land between Mumbai and Pune became his sanctuary, a kind of counterweight to the bright, demanding universe of cinema. He also owned residential properties in Maharashtra worth more than Rs 17 crore, along with agricultural and non-agricultural land valued at around Rs 1.4 crore. There were additional farmhouses in Khandala and other parcels of land that he expanded over the years — each reflecting his enduring attachment to the earth.
His instincts in business took him beyond property. Dharmendra ventured into hospitality with themed restaurants inspired by his onscreen persona. Garam Dharam Dhaba and He-Man Dhaba on the Karnal Highway became immediate hits. What began as fan nostalgia turned into a thriving chain, expanding into several cities and giving him yet another successful vertical in his portfolio. These restaurants blended brand value with cultural memory, proof that Dharmendra understood audiences just as well off-screen as he did on it.
Cinema, however, remained the engine of his earnings. In 1983, he founded Vijayta Films, launching Sunny Deol in Betaab and later Bobby Deol in Barsaat. The company went on to deliver hits like Ghayal, the Yamla Pagla Deewana series and more recently, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, which introduced his grandson Karan Deol. For Dharmendra, production was both business and legacy — a way to pass forward the world that had shaped him.
Even at 89, he showed little interest in retreating from public life. His Instagram feed was a window into his days — driving a tractor, sharing farming tips, encouraging organic living. There was something tender about these videos: a superstar refusing to posture, instead choosing to show the world the life he loved most. His second-to-last screen appearance, in the 2024 film Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, reminded audiences of the affection they’d carried for him across generations.
Today, estimates place his wealth between Rs 400 crore and Rs 450 crore. Some reports offer a narrower band, others a wider one, but all agree on the scale. Much of this value lies in assets not easily quantified — private land, joint family properties, and businesses with unlisted valuations. With his passing, questions about inheritance naturally surface. Dharmendra leaves behind a large family: four children from his first marriage with Prakash Kaur, and two daughters with Hema Malini. While the legal validity of the second marriage has long been debated, the law is clear — all six children are legitimate heirs to his self-acquired property and will receive equal shares. Hema Malini, however, is not entitled to the inheritance if the marriage is deemed invalid.
What remains beyond the numbers is a portrait of a man who built everything slowly, thoughtfully and on his own terms. His life began in a small Punjabi village and, for a time, in a Mumbai garage. It unfolded into one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated careers and an investment journey that turned a Rs 51 pay cheque into a multi-crore empire. His legacy now moves to the next generation, threaded with memory, discipline and the quiet wisdom that shaped both his art and his assets.
