As news of Bollywood legend Dharmendra’s passing at the age of 89 reached Punjab on Monday afternoon, an overwhelming wave of grief swept through his native village, Dangon, and the nearby town of Sahnewal in the Ludhiana district. For the residents of this region, the celebrated actor was never a larger-than-life star, but rather a beloved “son of the soil.”
Dharmendra’s bond with Punjab transcended social and economic lines, with generations of residents considering him family.
Sahnewal: The Childhood Home
The town of Sahnewal, where Dharmendra spent his childhood, still identifies his former residence instantly. The rented house where he grew up as the son of school teacher Kewal Krishan Deol is still called “Dharmendra’s house,” even though it has been sold and renovated multiple times.
- Honey Singh, the current owner of the house, acknowledged this lasting legacy: “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.”
- The original house belonged to Master Ramji Das, a friend of the actor’s father, who had been transferred from the village of Lalton Kalan.
- The Government Primary School where his father taught is still known locally as “Dharmendra’s father’s school.”
Dangon: The Unbroken Roots
In Dangon, the actor’s ancestral village, his century-old home became the focal point of mourning. The actor’s aunt, Pritam Kaur (now over 100), sat surrounded by family, recalling the warmth of his sporadic visits.
- Late-Night Visits: Dharmendra’s cousin, Manjit Singh Deol, and his children recalled that the actor preferred arriving after dark. This allowed him to meet the family privately, away from the large crowds that inevitably gathered during daylight hours.
- Keeping the Bond Alive: Manjit Singh’s son, Buta Singh Deol, shared a touching anecdote: “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.” Buta added that the actor was proud that his roots remained untouched.
- Deep Grief: Buta also remembered how deeply Dharmendra was shattered by the deaths of his father and his younger brother, Shingara Singh, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dharmendra himself often spoke about his regret at not being able to do more for Dangon due to his demanding career, and would gently correct those who mistakenly assumed Sahnewal was his hometown, always insisting: “Though all of Punjab is my motherland, my roots are in this village.”
Fond Memories and Final Gestures
The local community shared numerous personal connections to the star:
- Girdhari Lal Sharma, a friend of Dharmendra’s younger brother Ajit Singh, recounted staying at the actor’s Mumbai home during his job training: “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.”
- Satish Kumar, a sweetmeat shop owner in Sahnewal, revealed a final connection to the family: “My grandfather, Sadhu Ram, was Dharm Bhaji’s childhood friend… During the wedding of his grandson, Karan Deol (Sunny Deol’s son), Dharm ji ordered 35kg of ‘barfi’ from our shop in 2023.”
Upon receiving the news on Monday, residents gathered at the village common land (sath) near his childhood home. Gaurav Kumar, a mourner, summarized the sentiment: “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.”
A childhood friend, Maya Devi (90), who studied and played with him in the same streets, broke down, lamenting, “I wanted to see him, but I couldn’t. Today, when I heard he was gone, my heart broke.”