The world knew him as Bollywood legend Dharmendra, but for the people of Punjab, he remained Dharam paaji - the beloved elder brother who never forgot his roots. The veteran actor, who passed away Monday at the age of 89, maintained an unbreakable bond with his ancestral villages in Ludhiana district throughout his illustrious career.
The Heartbeat of Punjab's Villages
Born as Dharam Singh Deol on December 8, 1935, in Nasrali village of Ludhiana district, Dharmendra belonged to a Punjabi Jatt family. Though he achieved global fame in Hindi cinema, his heart always remained connected to three specific villages: Dangon, Sahnewal, and Lalton in his home district.
His paternal ancestral village was Dangon, where his extended family continues to reside. The emotional attachment to this village ran so deep that years ago, Dharmendra formally transferred his 19 kanals of agricultural land to his cousins during a visit to the Raikot revenue office.
Buta Singh Deol, Dharmendra's nephew, shared heartfelt memories: "Uncle ji would mostly visit us during night hours and return early morning to avoid crowds. He never forgot us or his village roots. He was satisfied that his ancestral land remained intact for years."
From Sahnewal School to Bombay Dreams
Dharmendra spent his formative years in Sahnewal, where his father Kewal Krishan served as a government school teacher. It was from Sahnewal railway station that the young Dharmendra embarked on his journey to Bombay in 1958 after winning a Filmfare talent hunt contest.
The actor often recalled emotional moments at Sahnewal's railway bridge, where he would sit for hours dreaming of becoming "a superstar like Dilip Kumar." In later years, he would return to that same bridge and emotionally declare: "Even today when I stand here, I speak to this bridge and say 'Dharmendra, you have become an actor, your dream has been achieved.'"
He maintained strong connections with his school in Sahnewal, remembering how teachers and even his own father would scold him for minor infractions like forgetting to tie a turban. "I now feel shy and humbled when people call me handsome or praise me," he once confessed during a nostalgic visit.
Family Ties and Emotional Legacy
At the ancestral house in Dangon village lives Dharmendra's aunt Pritam Kaur Deol, aged over 100, along with her son Manjit Singh Deol (Dharmendra's cousin) and his children. The family remembers Dharmendra's particular closeness to his cousin Shingara Singh, with whom he spoke almost every week.
"He was heartbroken when Shingara Chachaji died during Covid," Buta Singh recalled. "He had made a video call when Chachaji passed away and cried a lot."
Dharmendra's first wife, Parkash Kaur, whom he married in 1954 when he was 19, hails from Banbhaura village near Malerkotla in Punjab, further strengthening his connections to the state.
Punjab's Protective Son
Dharmendra's pride in his Punjabi roots extended to his professional life in Bombay. During the era when underworld threats haunted Bollywood, the actor famously declared: "If you try to harm me, the whole Sahnewal will come from Punjab. You have ten people, but I have an army. The moment I make one request, people will come in trucks from Punjab to fight for me."
This fierce connection to his homeland was beautifully summarized in his own words: "My roots are here, how can I leave or forget Punjab? I may live in Bombay, but my soul lives here."
Even in his final career stages, he changed his screen name from Dharmendra to 'Dharmendra Singh Deol', emphasizing his pride in being "a proud Punjabi, a proud Deol."
The legendary actor's journey from Punjab's fields to Bollywood's heights remains an inspiring story of someone who achieved global stardom while keeping his soul firmly rooted in his homeland's soil.
