New Delhi: Salman Khan broke down on the set of Bigg Boss 19 as he remembered veteran actor Dharmendra, who had appeared on the reality show many times over the years. During the 7 December finale episode, Khan also praised Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol for conducting a dignified funeral and prayer service.
Dharmendra passed away on 24 November, just a week after being discharged from Breach Candy Hospital, where he had been treated for respiratory distress. He was 89 and would have celebrated his 90th birthday on 8 December.
During the episode, Khan revealed that 24 November was his father Salim Khan’s birthday as well. He was overcome with emotion as he spoke and couldn’t finish his sentence.
‘A king-sized life’
The finale featured a montage of Dharmendra’s appearances on the show. In one clip, Dharmendra told Salman that he considers him like a son: “I often tell you, you are a lot like me.” As the video ended, Salman struggled to hold back tears.
“We lost the He-Man. We lost the most amazing man. I don’t think there is anyone better than Dharamji. The way he lived life was king-size. He gave us Sunny, Bobby, and Esha. Since the day he joined the industry, he only wanted to work. He did so many roles. My career graph… I have only followed Dharamji. He came with an innocent face and a He-Man’s body. That charm stayed with him till the end. Love you, Dharamji. Will always miss you,” he said.
Khan noted that he had never seen such an overwhelming wave of affection as the one for Dharmendra on social media. He said the platforms were overflowing with Reels, edits, and heartfelt tributes, a level of admiration he hasn’t witnessed for any other star.
Once again, Khan grew emotional and turned away from the camera. “The main thing is… he passed away on 24 November, which is my father’s birthday, and tomorrow is his birthday as well as my mom’s. If I’m feeling like this, imagine what Sunny and his family must be going through,” he said.
Khan added that two funerals had recently been conducted with exceptional dignity: the one for Sooraj Barjatya’s mother and the one for Dharmendra.
Dharmendra’s family faced criticism online for holding a sudden and private funeral, which left many fans upset as they were unable to give the veteran actor a public farewell.
Hema Malini later explained that the family chose to avoid media chaos, though they did plan a fan memorial to pacify upset fans.
“They held his prayer meet with so much grace and honour. Everyone was crying, but there was a decorum—a celebration of life. Hats off to Bobby and Sunny. Every funeral and prayer meeting should be conducted this beautifully,” Khan said.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)