Dharmendra’s native villages in Punjab mourn death of their son

Residents of Malerkotla and Ludhiana districts are mourning the loss of their beloved hero, Dharmendra Deol, who passed away on November 24, just two weeks before his 90th birthday. Born on December 8, 1935, in Nasrali village near Ludhiana, Dharmendra hailed from a Deol family in Dangon village, Raikot subdivision. He was married to Parkash Kaur Sohi from Banbhaura village in Malerkotla district in 1954.

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Satbir Singh Sheera Banbhaura, a social activist and politician, expressed his village’s sadness, saying their prayers for Dharmendra’s recovery went unanswered. Varinder Singh Sohi, an NRI nephew of Parkash Kaur, recalled Dharmendra’s participation in his wedding in 2005, alongside Sunny Deol. Bhushan Lomash of Issi village remembered Dharmendra’s visits to his father, late Dilbag Rai Issa, with whom the actor worked before entering films.

Residents of Malwa are proud that their love for art and culture facilitated Dharmendra’s entry into films. Dharmendra’s marriage to Parkash Kaur in 1954 marked the beginning of his journey to stardom. He moved to Mumbai in the late 1950s to pursue acting, with Parkash Kaur as his anchor.

Dharmendra, the legendary Bollywood actor, had fond memories of his roots in Punjab. In an interview, he recalled a photographer from Malerkotla, Jaan Mohammad, who clicked his photos for the 1958 talent contest, which he won, although the film he was supposed to debut in never materialised.

Dharmendra wanted to give back to his native village, Dangon, in his father’s memory. Advocate Gurinder Singh Lalli shared that Dharmendra had discussed plans to invest in education projects in the village over a decade ago, but unfortunately, these plans didn’t come to fruition due to his busy schedule and family commitments.

Villagers in Dangon were looking forward to celebrating Dharmendra’s 90th birthday, but his passing away has left them in grief. Kulwinder Dangon remembered Dharmendra’s desire to enjoy traditional Punjabi cuisine, ‘sarson da saag’ and ‘makki di roti’, near a traditional earthen oven (chulah) and ride a two-wheeler driven cart, as they had discussed during a meeting in Chandigarh.