Dharmendra yearns to return to his village in moving poem from final film Ikkis; fans say ‘Brought tears to our eyes'

Makers of Dharmendra's final film Ikkis have released a moving video with a poem recited in his voice about home and childhood.

The makers of the upcoming war film Ikkis have released a moving poem from the film in the voice of the recently deceased actor Dharmendra. Ikkis, set to release next month, will be the actor’s final big-screen appearance. The poem, picturised on the veteran actor, is a moving ode to one’s roots and birthplace, with many fans saying it brought tears to their eyes.

Dharmendra in a still from his final film, Ikkis.

Dharmendra's moving poem in Ikkis

Maddock Films, the production house behind Ikkis, shared the poem with a video from the film, on their social media channels on Friday morning. “Dharam Ji was a true son of the soil, and his words carry the essence of that soil. This poem by him is a yearning; a tribute from one legend to another. Thank you for gifting us this timeless verse,” the caption read.

The video shows Dharmendra’s character returning to his village in Punjab and going back to his hometown and old house, meeting old friends, and recalling fond memories. The poem, titled ‘Aj bhi ji karda hai, pind apne nu jaanwa’, translates to ‘I still yearn to return to my village’. In the poem, Dharmendra talks about wanting to go back home, bathe in the pond with the cattle, and play kabaddi with friends like he used to as a kid. He says that there is no match for the ‘pind vali zindagi’ (village life), and closes the verse with a line about missing his mother.

Reacting to the video, one fan wrote, “So moving!” Another said, “This brought tears to my eyes.” Many wrote comments that they missed Dharmendra, calling him a legend.

Dharmendra's death

The veteran actor died on 24 November at the age of 89. He had been battling health issues for some time and had been briefly hospitalised earlier in November.

All about Ikkis

Ikkis will mark his final appearance on film in a career that has spanned over six decades. Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the war drama is a biopic of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of Param Vir Chakra. The film stars Agastya Nanda in the lead, along with Jaideep Ahlawat, Suhasini Mulay, Sikander Kher, and Rahul Dev. It releases in theatres on 25 December.