Bollywood star actor Dharmendra die at di age of 89

Bollywood star Dharmendra don die for di Indian city of Mumbai at di age of 89.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pay tribute to di actor, saying im passing "mark di end of an era for Indian cinema".

Dharmendra, wey often dey describe imself as "a simple man",bincommand extraordinary affection and loyalty from im tens of millions of fans.

Best known as Veeru, di lovable petty criminal for di 1975 blockbuster Sholay, e appear for over 300 films, many hits, wey captivate audiences for decades.

Songs wey feature am top di charts, and im romance and marriage with Hema Malini make headlines.

Dem dey call am di "original He-Man of Bollywood" and "Garam (hot) Dharam", di actor often dey make am to global lists of "most handsome men" wen e dey im prime and tori say female fans bin dey sleep with im photographs under dia pillows.

Bollywood stars too fall for im charm - over di years actress Madhuri Dixit describe am as "one of di most handsome people I don ever see on screen", superstar Salman Khan say Dharmendra na di "most beautiful looking man" and actress Jaya Bachchan call am "a Greek God".

Dharmendra bin dey always say e dey "embarrassed" by tok of im good looks and attribute am to "nature, my parents and my genes".

Born on 8 December 1935 for Nasrali village for Punjab Ludhiana district to a middle-class Jatt-Sikh family, im schoolteacher papa name am Dharam Singh Deol.

For one 2018 interview with BBC Hindi, e say im papa bin want am to study, but e fall in love with films early on and bin want be hero.

"I bin watch my first film wen I dey for di ninth standard and I bin dey hooked. I bin dey wonder, wia dis heaven dey wia all dia beautiful people dey live? I reason say I must find my way dia. I feel like dem be mine and I belong to dem too."

But wen e tell im family, dem no like am.

"My mama say, 'you be our eldest child, you get family responsibilities'. I bin dey very sad. So wen we hear about di All India Talent Contest by Filmfare magazine, to just please me, she say, 'ok, send your application'. We bin no tink say dem go select me."

But den e win di contest and move go Bombay (now Mumbai) and di rest, as dem dey say, na history.

For three decades - afta im debute with Dil Bhi Tera, Hum Bhi Tere (The heart is yours and so am I) for 1960 - e rule Bollywood, delivering several hits a year.

Dharmendra first bicom famous wit di 1963 film Bandini, wia e act di role of one prison doctor wey fall in love wit convict. E earn plenty praise wit dat role, and e no tey, e bicom romantic hero, acting wit top actresses like Nutan, Meena Kumari, Mala Sinha, and Saira Banu.

In 1966, e act im first action film - Phool Aur Patthar (Flower and rock), but di one wey cement im reputation as action hero na di 1971 hit Mera Gaon Mera Desh (My village, my country).

Tall and well-built, Dharmendra dey usually do im own action scenes, involving daring stunts and even taking risks.

Apart from romance and action, di actor bin also deliver thrillers and comedies wey bicom hits. Critics bin praise am "for im impeccable comic timing" for di hilarious 1975 film Chupke Chupke.

Ova di years, Dharmendra tok say e don act wit 70 heroines, but di most successful one na wit Hema Malini, wey later bicom im second wife.

Di couple bin first meet for one film premiere in 1965 and Hema Malini bin make immediate impression on Dharmendra. In her 2017 biography, she write say she bin hear as Dharmendra dey tell fellow actor Shashi Kapoor for Punjabi language say, "dis girl fine well-well".

Dia romance bloom for di 1970s tru plenty superhit films like Seeta Aur Geeta, Raja Jani, and Sholay, and e bin make headlines sake of say Dharmendra don already marry and get grown-up children wit im his first wife, Prakash Kaur.

Di media write about di resistance from Hema Malini's family to dia wedding, but di couple finally marry 1980. Some reports say dem later convert to Islam, wey dey allow polygamy, but Dharmendra later deny di claim.

Di actor-producer bin also dabble for politics. E serve as member of parliament for di BJP from Bikaner for di State of Rajasthan, for one term - 2005 to 2009. But pipo criticise am say e no take politics seriously and e no dey attend parliament sitting, rather e prefer to spend time shooting films or working for im farm.

Years later, Dharmendra agreed say im be misfit for politics. "Politics no be for emotional pipo, na for pipo wey get thick-skin," e tok. "Dis five years dey veri tough for me, veri difficult."

E work almost to di end of im life, acting alongside im sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, judging reality shows, and connecting wit fans via social media.

For im lifetime, di actor bin give many fine performances, but if e get one role wey pipo go remember am for, na Veeru for Sholay - di 1975 blockbuster wey don bicom cultural phenomenon.

Di movie bin get plenty stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan for di lead roles, and for di film, Dharmendra and Bachchan bin play di role jaguda pipo wey later bicom saviours afta dem fight one dreaded bandit.

Di film bicom cult classic and many fans say na Dharmendra be di reason for di success, as dem describe am as di "soul of Sholay". Di actor also agree say dat na im finest role. "I no tink I don eva do any role wey beta pass Veeru," e tok.

But even though e deliver dozens of hit movies, Dharmendra neva make am to di "number one" slot for Bollywood - as e continue to lose to im contemporaries like Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan - and several times dem overlook am for di prestigious Filmfare awards.

Na finally for 1997 wey di Filmfare honour am wit di Lifetime Achievement Award for im contribution to Hindi cinema, and in 2012, dem give am di Padma Bhushan - wey be award from di Indian govment to honour civilians for distinguished service.

But Dharmendra no too allow stardom to enta im head, e stay away from di rat race and e tok say e neva want to be di number one for di industry.

"I no dey ask for too much money, and fame dey transient. All I want na pipo love," e tok for one interview.

"I come here just for dis love. Evrione loves Dharmendra and I dey grateful for dat," e add.

On Wednesday, news of im death bin cause plenty tribute from di film fraternity for social media.

"Growing up, Dharmendra na di hero evri boy bin wan be," actor Akshay Kumar tok. "Thank you for inspiring generations. You go live on tru your films and di love you spread."

Director Karan Johar describe Dharmendra death as di "end of an era". E say im passing don leave "a gaping hole for di industry... a space wey nobodi go eva fit fill... Na only one and only Dharmendra fit dey".