Dharmendra dies at 89: Revisiting superstar's unforgettable dialogues
What's the story
Legendary actor Dharmendra (89), known as the "He-Man of Bollywood," passed away on Monday. Filmmaker Karan Johar confirmed his demise, while the Deol family's statement is currently awaited. The superstar, who boasted an inimitable filmography, has given us several iconic dialogues that have become immortal in Bollywood history. In his memory, let's revisit some of them.
#1
'Basanti...in kutton ke saamne mat naachna'
Did you hear that in Dharmendra's voice? In his cult classic Sholay, he memorably said, "Basanti, in kutton ke samne mat naachna." Basanti was memorably played by Hema Malini, and the action drama also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, and Jaya Bachchan. A bona fide classic and a jewel of Hindi cinema, it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025.
#2
'Dil ke maamle mein hamesha dil ki...'
In the later part of his career, the actor moved to mature, layered roles. One such movie was Anurag Basu's Life in a...Metro. His dialogue, "Dil ke maamle mein hamesha dil ki sunni chahiye," beautifully captured the essence of the movie, which was all about love, loss, and longing. The movie also stars Shilpa Shetty, Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Kay Kay Menon.
#3
'Tumhari yeh goli lohe...'
Another evergreen line from Dharmendra is, "Tumhari yeh goli lohe ke shareer ke paar nahi ja sakti," delivered in his role as police inspector Amar in the movie Loha. This role spoke volumes about the superstar's unparalleled charisma on screen, especially in action roles. Directed by Raj N. Sippy, the film also stars Shatrughan Sinha and Karan Kapoor in key roles.
#4
'Dil bhi hai, dard bhi hai...'
Over the years, Dharmendra's movies resonated with millions of Indians. He gave us another timeless dialogue in Malini's Dream Girl, when he said, "Dil bhi hai, dard bhi hai... aur dono ke beech main hoon." The superstar captured the ache of lovers through these poignant words and created magic each time he worked with Malini. There was truly nobody like him.