Dharmendra with his aunt Preetam Kaur in Dangon village

Mumbai: The first confirmation of actor Dharmendra's death Monday came when his daughter Esha Deol followed by wife Hema Malini reached Pawan Hans crematorium in Juhu to prepare for the final rites. The family did not issue a formal statement about his demise.

Shortly afterwards, the star's remains were brought to the cremation ground by ambulance. An attendant seated beside the driver held the earthen pot used for the ritual.

A large contingent of fans began gathering outside the crematorium. Among celebrities, Juhu residents Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan were the first to arrive followed by Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Shabana Azmi. Yesteryear stars Saira Banu and Biswajit also showed up to pay respects.

Saira Banu later recalled, “Dilip saab valued and loved him like his own blood and Dharam ji was inspired to get into movies inspired by Dilip saab. He would come over and they’d share each other’s lives and issues till 2 am.”

Sunny Deol as the eldest son performed the Mukhagni ceremony. The Deol clan dissolved in tears, especially younger son Bobby and grandson Karan.

Sadly, Dharam ji's fans and even his colleagues from the film industry did not receive information of his death in time and began arriving at Pawan Hans only to find that the funeral was completed way before. Celebrities like Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh too came in the afternoon.

Fans expressed a wish to see their favourite ‘He-Man’ up close one last time. An old acquaintance displayed a picture of himself with the star that dated back decades. He sought to know if the gates of the cremation ground would be opened to allow a final darshan.

Another lady escorted by her young daughter said, "We knew the end was near given his deteriorating condition and ventilator support over the past weeks. Still his passing has caused deep sorrow. The younger generation knows Amitabh Bachchan as the only superstar. But Dharmendra preceded him."

The final farewell was marked by simplicity. The ambulance bearing Dharmendra's remains was not bedecked with flowers nor was an opportunity granted to people to see him one last time at a formal wake. The Deols eschewed this ritual.

Onlookers speculated that the family was keen to avoid media frenzy and large crowds given the false alarm over the star's death that erupted a few days ago.

Among those who mourned him were Shatrughan Sinha, who expressed his grief saying, “Heart broken, pained & deeply saddened by the passing away of our dearest family friend, our elder brother, people's hero.”

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Dangon/Sahnewal/Ludhiana: Here, every house has its own story of Dharmendra. Every family feels he is theirs. He is their 'apna Dharam'.

From the time news broke that Bollywood's original strongman was critically ill, Dangon village - Dharmendra's ancestral place, around an hour's drive from Ludhiana - had been praying for his health. Nothing prepares you to take such news, said Dharmendra's nephew, Buta Singh.

Buta, 35, told TOI, "My grandmother (Dharmendra's aunt) was already tense after his condition deteriorated earlier this month and now she is in deep shock. All of us are anguished. But we are proud he made our little village and Punjab proud."

The actor's aunt, Preetam Kaur, 90, said, "I was already in so much pain after my son Shingara Singh died during Covid in 2021. Now Dharam is gone too." She recalled the times she went to Mumbai and he treated her like royalty. "You know, he gave me everything needed for my son Manjit's marriage." She said Dharmendra was fond of Shingara and the two would often chat on video calls.

Manjit said his brother Gurjit lived with Dharmendra's family in Mumbai for two years. He recalled that when Dharmendra last visited the village in 2014, he took the village soil and touched it to his forehead. "We were hoping to celebrate his birthday on Dec 8, but now we are preparing for a remembrance meeting," said Amritpal Singh, former sarpanch of Dangon.

The house in Sahnewal where Dharmendra once lived on rent is a landmark in these parts. It has changed hands since but the owner has kept a picture of the way it was when he bought it, and named it "Dharminder House".

Manjeet Kaur said it was in a poor condition when they bought it around three years ago. "Sunny Deol was born in this house. Yes, we do feel proud that we live in the same building that was once Dharmendra ji's," said Manjeet.

"We always wished he would come to the house and meet us. Unfortunately that never was to be," she said, adding that they have pictures of the old house and Sunny's room framed.

TOI met a former neighbour, 86-year-old Girdhari Lal, who said the actor's younger brother Ajit Singh Deol was his classmate in school. "Dharmendra's father Kewal Krishan ji was my teacher as he taught both in govt primary and high school in Sahnewal," said Lal.

He recalled that before becoming a star, Dharmendra would go to a salon in Chaura Bazar in Ludhiana and spend hours there as he was quite fashion savvy. "He was always very friendly. A man with a big heart. Even after he made it big in Bollywood, he hosted me whenever I went to Mumbai for training. He treated me and everyone who knew him in his early days just as friends do," said Lal, who retired as a branch manager with LIC.

In Sahnewal, it seems there's no dearth of people whose life Dharmendra had touched. TOI was leaving 'Dharminder House' when a stranger approached and said, "You want to know about Dharmendra? Take it from me, he was a giant among men." Asked for his name, he said: "I don't matter. We are Dharmendra's people. I asked him once how he made it big, and he smiled and said, 'fate'."

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Ludhiana: As Bollywood star Dharmendra spent many years of his early life in Sahnewal near Ludhiana, the area residents where his family lived are in a state of shock over the death of the Bollywood star. Dharmendra's father Kewal Krishan Deol was a teacher in a govt school at Sahnewal for many years.

Talking to TOI, 86-year-old Girdhari Lal, a retired senior branch manager from LIC who lives in Mohalla Khatriyan yards away from the house where Dharmendra's family lived on rent, said he was shocked beyond words and was unable to express his pain. He added that he was very tense for many days after he came to know about Dharmendra's ill health, and today his worst fears came true as they had lost him.

Girdhari Lal shared that Dharmendra's younger brother Ajit Singh Deol (Jeet) was his class fellow and they studied together till high school. He added that Dharmendra's father was his teacher as he taught both in govt primary and high school in Sahnewal.

Lal recalled that before becoming a star, Dharmendra would go to a saloon in Chaura Bazar in Ludhiana and would sit there for hours as he was quite fashion savvy. He added that after Dharmendra became a star, twice he (Girdhari Lal) went to Mumbai for training where Dharmendra hosted him and treated him very well.

Chipping in, Manju Sharma, wife of Girdhari Lal, said Dharmendra's mother Satwant Kaur was a great lady and the family was nice. She added that they did pray for his recovery, but unfortunately, Dharmendra passed away.

Girdhari Lal said that Master Kewal Krishan worked as a teacher in Lalton as well before he went to Phagwara, where the family lived for around 10 years. He added that Master Kewal Krishan's brother-in-law's son Varinder was also a movie star and Dharmendra's brother Ajit also worked in "Khote Sikke" movie, but couldn't make it big in movies and joined the railways.

Meanwhile, the house where the family lived in Sahnewal is renovated now. Manjeet Kaur, who along with her son and his family owns the house, said the house was damaged so they had to get it renovated after they bought it around three years ago. She added that Sunny Deol was born in one of the room's of the house, and they feel proud of the fact that Dharmendra once lived there.

"He did come here once around 10-12 years ago. He should have lived long and we wished he should have come here and met us," she said. She added that they had got a picture of the damaged house and the room where Bobby Deol was born framed.

Sandeep Kumar, an area resident, said during his last visit to Sahnewal, the actor had visited many parts of the area. He added that people in Sahnewal loved him a lot and were shocked by his demise.

Meanwhile, residents of Nasrali village near Khanna, where Dharmendra was born, are also saddened by the death of the Bollywood star. A resident, Master Jaswant Singh, said Dharmendra's father taught in the village for two years. He added that they did an ‘Ardas' for Dharmendra's well-being at a religious place in the village after he became ill, but are upset with his demise.

Master Jaswant Singh said that the condition of the house where the family lived is in bad shape. The villagers said that they pray for peace to the departed soul and courage to his family and fans to bear such an irreparable loss.