Wheels and celebrities go together in ads now. But well before Sachin Tendulkar campaigned for BMW or Shah Rukh Khan for Hyundai, Dharmendra was rumbling around on Rajdoot bikes and Ford tractors.
The rugged persona of the veteran star, who died last week in Mumbai just weeks before his 90th birthday, carried into his commercials. With his tough son-of-the-soil appeal, he was the go-to for brands targeting small-town and rural consumers. He was perceived as the “everyman hero”, a star who rose from humble beginnings and maintained an approachable, grounded persona.
“Dharmendra appealed equally to parents and youngsters which gave brands a wider household influence. This natural credibility travelled deeper into tier 2 and tier 3 cities than most structured campaigns could,” said Bollywood publicist Dale Bhagwagar.
Over the decades, Dharmendra appeared in numerous ads where relatability mattered as much as aspiration.
He became the face of everything from tractor commercials to Haryana tourism campaigns. The nods and winks were constant, whether it was Rajdoot’s ‘Mardon ki Sawari,’ the National Egg Coordination Committee’s ‘Sunny Side Up’ spot, the ‘Mere Ford ko start karne ki himmat kisne ki’ tractor ad, or the Himani chyawanprash ad where he joked about his ‘garam Dharam’ tag.
Today, every other actor or filmmaker is advertising a motorcycle or scooty. But Dharmendra was the OG. In one of his earliest campaigns in the mid 1980s, Rajdoot used him to personify ruggedness, strength, and reliability — riding the bike across dusty village roads, handling rough terrain, and suggesting it wasn’t just a bike but a workhorse for “real India.”
Even when it came to selling Bagpiper ‘soda’, Dharmendra fit right in with the brand leveraging his trademark line: “Kamine mein tera khoon pi jaunga.”
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Three-in-one package
In the 1980s, Indian advertising was still evolving, and most ads catered to urban audiences. But Dharmendra presented an opportunity to change that.
Advertisers realised that a single star could position their products for rural, semi-urban and urban people. It was a three-in-one package for agencies that didn’t even have the language for “tier markets” yet. It made him the ideal ambassador for brands wanting to win the loyalty of India’s fastest-growing consumer base
“Even without aggressive PR, his natural stardom, constant presence in mass media, and deep emotional connection with smaller towns made him a credible and influential choice for household brands like Bagpiper and Rajdoot motorcycles,” Bhagwagar said.
In the 90s, the actor was roped in as an ambassador for Bagpiper alongside Sanjeev Kumar and Shatrughan Sinha. It was the time when ‘surrogate’ advertising for liquor was still allowed.
“Cigarette and liquor brands wanted to associate themselves with masculinity in those days,” Bhagwagar said. “And Dharmendra fit the bill just right.”
The brand positioned Dharmendra as someone who is “macho plus had a mass market idol” vibe. It also brought his famous zest for life to the fore, drawing the audience in with the line, Khoob jamega rang jab mil baithenge teen yaar, aap, main aur Bagpiper (The fun begins when three friends sit together: you, me, and Bagpiper).
His Hindi-Punjabi cultural identity aligned well with the audiences, giving the campaigns warmth and familiarity without appearing forced or overly urbanised.
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Face of agricultural advertising
Dharmendra was one of the first major Bollywood stars to feature in agricultural advertising. In the Ford New Holland tractor campaigns oof the 90s, he wielded a lasso in one ad and played the part of a formidable farm-owner in another. This form of agri-glamour clicked with viewers, making the line “Jo Ford mein hai, woh auron mein kahan” (What Ford has, others don’t) highly popular. This campaign stands out because it showed how a mainstream film star could become relevant to rural consumers as well.
Even as newer actors emerged, Dharmendra’s nostalgic value remained strong in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, said Bhagwagar. Nostalgia, he added, is a powerful emotional trigger, strengthening brand recall and positive sentiment.
“Dharmendra was an example of emotional branding before the era of PR strategy,” Bhagwagar said.
He built his appeal through authenticity, not image-crafting. That, Bhagwagar argued, is why his advertising run still offers a lesson to PR and marketing professionals.
“True brand ambassadors are not manufactured. When perception builds
on genuine public sentiment instead of constructing a façade, the results are long lasting,” he added.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)