Veteran Bollywood Actor Dharmendra Passes Away, Had Deep Ties to Rajasthan

Bollywood veteran actor Dharmendra passed away on Monday afternoon. He had been unwell for a long time. The 89-year-old veteran actor Dharmendra breathed his last at his home around 1 pm.

The news of his demise sent waves of grief through the film industry as well as across the country. People in Rajasthan are also paying tribute to him. Dharmendra had a special connection with Rajasthan. Dharmendra was a Member of Parliament from Bikaner from 2004 to 2009.

Won Election from Bikaner

In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had nominated Dharmendra from the Bikaner seat. He registered a victory by defeating Congress candidate Rameshwar Dudi by 57,175 votes. The interesting part was that Dharmendra gained such a lead from the Bikaner East and West assembly constituencies that he won overall, even though he trailed in the remaining seats.

Rajasthan Connected to Roots

Dharmendra was born on December 8, 1935, in the Ludhiana district of Punjab, but his family roots are said to be connected to the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan. Later, his family settled in Punjab. Dharmendra often said that he was very fond of the soil, people, and culture of Rajasthan.

Shooting of Many Films in Rajasthan

The shooting of many of Dharmendra's popular films took place in Rajasthan. Some scenes of Sholay were filmed near Jodhpur. Dharam Veer was shot in the forts of Jaipur and Jodhpur. Apart from this, many scenes from films like Baaghi, Lohaa, and Phool Aur Patthar were also filmed at locations in Rajasthan.

Honoured in the State

Dharmendra was honoured with several awards related to film and culture in Rajasthan. He was also presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rajasthan International Film Festival. With his demise, Indian cinema has lost a powerful and simple artist, whose acting and personality both left a deep impression on people's hearts.