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Dharmendra’s native state of Punjab mourns loss of son of soil
Down to earth, he shared an emotional bond with generations from all walks of life in Punjab, particularly in his birthplace of Dangon and Sahnewal, where he grew up. He was known for being a large-hearted family man rather than a larger-than-life film star.
As news of Bollywood legend Dharmendra’s passing away at 89 at his residence in Mumbai was received on Monday afternoon, residents of his native village of Dangon and nearby Sahnewal town where he grew up in Ludhiana district of Punjab recounted memories of the son of the soil who stays rooted in their hearts.
Dharmendra shared an emotional bond with Punjab and its people that is so strong that generations from all walks of life consider him family not a larger-than-life film star. Even today, everyone in Sahnewal town knows the rented house where Dharmendra, the son of school teacher Kewal Krishan Deol, spent his childhood decades ago. Though the house has since been sold and renovated, it is still called Dharmendra’s house.
“Everyone here knows the way to Dharmendra ji’s house. We may be its owners now, but even we call it Dharmendra Bhaji’s house,” says Honey Singh.
According to senior citizens of Sahnewal, the house originally belonged to Master Ramji Das, who was also a teacher and friend of Dharmendra’s father. “Kewal Krishan ji was transferred here from Lalton Kalan, a village in Ludhiana. The actor’s ancestral village is Dangon. The staff at Government Primary School where his father taught is still known as Dharmendra’s father’s school,” Honey Singh said.
Would visit village after dark to evade crowd
At the actor’s century-old home in Dangon, his aunt, Pritam Kaur, who is now over 100, sat surrounded by relatives remembering the actor’s late-night visits — quiet, unannounced, and always filled with warmth. Her son, Manjit Singh Deol, Dharmendra’s cousin, and his children recalled how the actor preferred arriving after dark so he could meet the family away from the crowds that inevitably gathered during the day.
“Some years ago, ‘uncle ji’ (Dharmendra) came and transferred his 19 kanals of agricultural land to my father. It was his way of keeping the family bond alive,” said Buta Singh Deol, Manjit Singh’s son. “He worried about the land, but he trusted us to preserve it. He was proud that his roots remained untouched.”
Buta remembers how deeply Dharmendra grieved when his younger brother Shingara Singh, who the actor adored, died during Covid. “He was shattered,” Buta said softly.
Over the years, Dharmendra often spoke about his regret at not being able to do much for Dangon because of his demanding film career. He would gently correct people who assumed Sahnewal was his hometown. “Though all of Punjab is my motherland,” he once said, “my roots are in this village.”
Personal loss, say Sahnewal residents
Girdhari Lal Sharma, a friend of Dharmendra’s younger brother Ajit Singh, said he shared warm childhood memories with the actor. “Dharm Bhaji was five years elder to me. I had visited him twice in Mumbai while undergoing training for my job in Life Corporation of India. I stayed in his house, his children welcomed me with open arms and hearts. Sunny Deol guided me to a room on the first floor. There were over 50 pairs of shoes and Sunny asked me to try on whichever I liked,” he said.
“I went to see him when he came to Punjab to shoot a film. The security stopped me outside, but Dharm Bhaji recognised me in the crowd and asked the security to let me in. He was a down to earth man. His death is a personal loss,” he added.
Satish Kumar, a sweetmeat shop owner, said: “My grandfather, Sadhu Ram, was Dharm Bhaji’s childhood friend. Dharm ji was fond of sweets. He never missed visiting our shop when he came to Sahnewal. During the wedding of his grandson, Karan Deol, who is Sunny Deol’s son, Dharm ji ordered 35kg of ‘barfi’ from our shop in 2023,” Satish recalled in a choked voice.
“Bhaji had visited Sahnewal in 2022 for the last time. He went to ‘his house’ and walked the streets where he used to play in his childhood,” he added.
Residents had been praying for his health since he was hospitalised in Mumbai earlier this month. But as the news flashed on TV channels and on social media, people started gathering at the ‘sath’ (village common land) near the house where he once lived with his parents, to mourn the death.
As a local resident, Gaurav Kumar, said, “Dharmendra ji was my grandfather’s age, but he was the Bhaji (elder brother) or Uncle ji for all of us. An affectionate elder who never forgot his roots and lives on in our hearts.”
