Dharmendra carried Ludhiana in his heart, recall city residents

Ludhiana, the industrial town that nurtured dreams of countless youngsters, is mourning the death of veteran actor Dharmendra, fondly remembered as the ‘He-Man’ of the Indian Cinema. For the city, his demise is not only the loss of a film icon but also the departure of a son who carried Ludhiana in his heart wherever he went.

Dr Onkar S Parmar, who retired as the Director of Extension Education at GADVASU, recalled a chance encounter that revealed Dharmendra’s humility.

“My friend, senior architect Harbans Sehgal, once asked me to meet a person in Mumbai who wanted to open a dairy farm. I initially refused but later agreed when I was visiting my daughter. To my surprise, the person was Dharmendra and he himself came to meet me. He was keen to start a dairy farm. Despite his stardom, he was simple, grounded and spoke with warmth. We even shared the same barber at one time,” Parmar reminisced.

Dharmendra’s connection with Ludhiana was deeply personal. He often expressed nostalgia for Raikhy Cinema, one of the city’s oldest theatres, established in 1933. In a heartfelt post on Twitter, he remembered watching films there as a young boy. Fans responded eagerly, asking him about the last movie he had seen at the hall. For many, this memory symbolised how the actor never forgot his roots.

Rakesh Kumar, an old-timer, recalled how Dharmendra’s visits to the cinema hall created excitement. “He had a friend, Raj, a barber near the Clock Tower. The actor would often get his haircut from him. Whenever he came to Ludhiana, there was a buzz, sometimes even a special screening arranged in his honour,” he said.

The craze for Dharmendra was unmatched in 1960s. Dr R Vatsyayan vividly remembered the frenzy when Phool Aur Patthar released in 1966.

“I was in Class VIII then. At least 10 of my classmates bunked tuition to watch the film. He was the ultimate hero, the most handsome man we had ever seen. His charisma was magnetic,” he said.

Stories of his affection for Ludhiana abound. Dr Vatsyayan recalls how a friend from the city visited Dharmendra’s Mumbai home unannounced. The gatekeeper informed him that someone from Ludhiana had come. Dharmendra, with shaving foam still on his face and a towel in hand, rushed out to greet the visitor. Such gestures reinforced his image as a star who never let fame overshadow his humanity.

From Raikhy Cinema to the Clock Tower barber, from dairy farm dreams to heartfelt reunions, Ludhiana cherishes the actor not only as a film legend but also one of its own. His passing leaves behind a void, but the memories of his humility, charm and enduring bond with the city will continue to inspire generations.