'It felt like I lost my father once again': Kapil Sharma on Dharmendra's death

Actor-comedian Kapil Sharma on Wednesday said he shared a close bond with veteran star Dharmendra and with his death, he felt like he had lost a father figure.

Dharmendra died at the age of 89 on Monday. His death has led to an outpouring of grief from the film industry with many sharing personal anecdotes and stories of the actor's generosity.

At the trailer launch of his film "Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2", Sharma said there won't be another personality like Dharmendra ever again.

"Dharam ji, sab jaante bhi hai, ki wo mere liye kya the (Everyone knows how much he meant to me). Everyone is feeling like they have lost a family member. I lost my father at 22 - an age when you're meant to learn from him. I didn't get to spend time with him.

"To me, (Dharmendra's death) felt like I lost my father for the second time. It's true that everyone who comes into this world has to leave one day, but you always wish for a little more time with people who are truly good. He lived like a king," he said.

Sharma said Dharmendra was the first film personality who agreed to be a guest on his show "The Kapil Sharma Show" when it began in 2016.

"I met Dharam paaji for the first time on a flight to Toronto. And we became such good friends that he was sharing jokes with me during the entire flight... When I first came to Bombay and we were trying to launch our show, no one knew anything about it - not the concept, not the channel, not the production house. They were reaching out to celebrities, but no one was willing to come.

"I called Dharam paaji and requested some time for a meeting and he didn't ask a single question about the show. I told him, ‘Paaji, main pehli baar show bana raha hoon, aur main chahta hoon ki aap hamare guest ho.' He was busy preparing for the release of his new film at the time, yet he turned to his team member, Poonam, and said, ‘He is my son — take out a date for him, no matter what'."

Sharma's "Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2" is scheduled to be released in theatres on December 12. Written and directed by Anukalp Goswami, the movie is produced by Ratan Jain, Ganesh Jain and Abbas-Mustan.