Before there was Salman. Before Shah Rukh spread his arms. Before Hrithik danced or Akshay did stunts. There was Dharmendra.
The original. The template. The man who showed Bollywood that heroes could punch villains in the face and then recite poetry to their heroines without choosing between being tough or tender. That muscles and emotions weren’t mutually exclusive. That real masculinity made room for vulnerability.
Sixty years. Over 300 films. Countless iconic performances. But some roles transcend cinema and become part of cultural DNA. Some characters live forever not because they were acted well but because they were lived authentically. Some films don’t just entertain. They define what Bollywood heroism means.
Dharmendra gave us all of that. The farmboy from Punjab who became the He-Man of Hindi cinema created performances that every actor since has tried to replicate. Failed mostly. Because what Dharmendra had wasn’t technique or training. It was presence. That indefinable thing that makes you unable to look away when someone fills a frame.
These seven films aren’t just his best work. They’re the reason Bollywood heroes look the way they do, act the way they do, and believe they can be both strong and sensitive. Every action star with a six-pack. Every romantic lead who cries on screen. Every hero who fights for justice while wooing the girl. They’re all copying the homework Dharmendra turned in decades ago.
Share this with your Bollywood buff friend because these films are required viewing for understanding Hindi cinema.
1. Sholay (1975): The Film That Made Veeru Immortal And Set The Standard Forever
Credits: The Statesman
Start with the obvious choice. Because Sholay isn’t just Dharmendra’s most iconic film. It’s THE most iconic film in Hindi cinema history. Period. Forty-eight years after release, people still quote dialogues, reference scenes, and measure every buddy film against this Ramesh Sippy masterpiece.
Dharmendra played Veeru, the lovable thief hired by retired police officer Thakur to capture dreaded bandit Gabbar Singh. Paired with Amitabh Bachchan’s Jai, the duo created Bollywood’s greatest friendship. Their chemistry felt genuine because it was. Off screen, Dharam paaji and Bachchan became actual brothers, a bond that lasted until Dharmendra’s death.
But Veeru wasn’t just Jai’s friend. He was the film’s emotional anchor. The comedy relief who could flip to action hero instantly. The romantic who wooed Basanti (Hema Malini) by threatening suicide on a water tank in the film’s most famous comic sequence. And crucially, the man who broke down crying when Jai died, giving Hindi cinema one of its most powerful portrayals of male grief.
The “Basanti, in kutton ke saamne mat nachna” scene became legendary not for the dialogue but for Dharmendra’s delivery. That perfect mix of protectiveness, comedy, and genuine concern. The way he looked at Hema. The body language. The timing. It’s a masterclass in screen acting disguised as mass entertainment.
Sholay grossed over 150 million rupees in 1975, an astronomical figure. It ran in theaters for years, some venues playing it continuously for over five years. The film won three Filmfare Awards and became the benchmark every Bollywood blockbuster since gets measured against.
Dharmendra’s Veeru is why every subsequent action hero tries to be funny. Why romantic leads think they need to do stunts. Why filmmakers believe friendship stories can carry three-hour runtimes. He created the template and nobody’s improved on it yet.
2. Phool Aur Patthar (1966): The Film That Made Him A Superstar Overnight
Credits: YT
Before Sholay made him immortal, Phool Aur Patthar made him a star. Released in 1966, this OP Ralhan directed action-romance turned Dharmendra from promising actor to certified superstar capable of opening films on his name alone.
He played Shaka, a thief with a conscience who reforms after falling for a woman played by Meena Kumari. The role required Dharmendra to balance toughness with vulnerability, showing his character’s criminal past while making audiences root for his redemption. It was a complex performance that could’ve gone wrong in less capable hands.
But Dharmendra understood something other action heroes didn’t: violence doesn’t make you tough. How you treat people when you’re not fighting reveals real strength. Shaka was dangerous but not cruel. Hardened but not heartless. Capable of brutality but choosing kindness. That nuance elevated the film beyond typical action fare.
The shirtless scenes didn’t hurt. Dharmendra’s physique became talking point, establishing him as Bollywood’s first true action hero with genuine athletic build rather than just dramatic posturing. But it was his eyes that sold the performance. The way he looked at Meena Kumari. The conflict between his criminal instincts and emerging conscience. That’s acting, not just flexing.
Phool Aur Patthar earned Dharmendra his first Filmfare Award nomination and changed his career trajectory permanently. Suddenly every producer wanted “that action hero who can also do romance.” The film’s success proved audiences craved heroes who felt real rather than aspirational fantasies.
The movie’s title translates to “Flower and Stone,” perfectly capturing Dharmendra’s appeal. Hard exterior. Soft interior. Both authentic. Both essential to who he was as performer and person.
3. Satyakam (1969): When He Proved He Could Actually Act
Credits: Dainik Bhaskar
Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Satyakam remains Dharmendra’s most critically acclaimed performance. As Satyapriya Acharya, a principled engineer who refuses to compromise his ethics despite constant pressure, Dharmendra showed dramatic range that surprised critics who’d dismissed him as just another action star.
The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Dharmendra’s performance earned universal praise for its restraint and emotional depth. No shirtless scenes. No action sequences. No comedy. Just pure acting in service of a character study about maintaining integrity in a corrupt world.
Satyapriya is idealistic to the point of self-destruction. He loses jobs, opportunities, and comfort because he won’t bend his principles. Dharmendra played this moral rigidity without making the character unlikable or preachy. Instead, Satyapriya felt tragically human. Someone doing his best in impossible circumstances. Trying to live up to ideals society claims to value but actually punishes.
The film explores how maintaining ethics affects family. Satyapriya’s wife suffers because of his principles. His children grow up in poverty because he won’t take bribes. Mukherjee doesn’t present this as noble sacrifice but as complicated reality. Good people struggling. Dharmendra captured that struggle beautifully.
Satyakam proved Dharmendra could work with India’s finest directors in serious cinema and deliver performances matching the material’s ambition. It earned respect from critics who’d never taken him seriously before. And it gave him confidence to pursue more challenging roles rather than coasting on action hero stardom.
The film remains relevant because Satyapriya’s struggles haven’t changed. Corruption. Ethical compromise. The cost of integrity. These themes resonate as much in 2025 as they did in 1969. And Dharmendra’s performance still feels contemporary, avoiding the theatrical style many 1960s actors employed.
Don’t miss number 4 because it’s where Dharmendra proved he could do comedy better than most comedians.
4. Chupke Chupke (1975): The Comedy That Proved His Range
Credits: MUBI
Released the same year as Sholay, Chupke Chupke showcased Dharmendra’s comic timing in a Hrishikesh Mukherjee comedy about a botany professor who pretends to be his wife’s driver to prank her uptight brother-in-law. The film is masterclass in situational comedy elevated by perfect performances.
Dharmendra played Professor Parimal Tripathi with restraint unusual for comedies. He never overplayed the humor. Never winked at the camera. He committed to the character’s motivations, letting comedy emerge naturally from situations rather than forcing jokes. That discipline made everything funnier.
His chemistry with Sharmila Tagore (playing his wife) and Amitabh Bachchan (playing his friend) created magic. The three actors understood timing, pauses, and reactions that make comedy work. Watch Dharmendra’s face during scenes where he’s barely holding character as the fake driver. That’s genuine skill, maintaining composure while conveying internal hilarity.
The film paired him with Om Prakash, legendary character actor playing the brother-in-law Raghavendra. Their interactions drove the plot, with Dharmendra’s “simple driver” act driving Om Prakash’s professor character increasingly crazy. The generational and class comedy worked because both actors played it straight rather than broad.
Chupke Chupke became one of 1975’s biggest hits, proving audiences loved seeing Dharmendra in lighter roles. It also demonstrated his willingness to share screen space rather than dominating every frame. Ensemble acting requires ego death. Dharmendra had no problem letting others shine when it served the film.
The movie remains beloved for its innocent humor. No double meanings. No slapstick. Just intelligent situational comedy performed by actors who understood their craft. It’s comfort viewing that gets better with each watch, revealing new details in performances you thought you’d memorized.
5. Dream Girl (1977): The Film That Proved He And Hema Were Magic Together
Credits: Live India
Dharmendra and Hema Malini starred in 28 films together. Dream Girl might be their most purely entertaining collaboration. Pramod Chakravorty’s romance-drama-thriller features Hema in a double role as twin sisters, with Dharmendra caught between them while also solving a murder mystery.
The film is pure masala. Romance, comedy, drama, suspense, songs, fights. Everything audiences wanted from 1970s Hindi cinema packed into one entertaining package. Dharmendra anchored the chaos, playing his romantic scenes with sincerity while handling action and comedy with equal skill.
His chemistry with Hema transcended acting. By 1977, their real-life romance was Bollywood’s open secret. That off-screen connection translated to on-screen electricity. When Dharmendra looked at Hema, audiences saw genuine love rather than performed attraction. It elevated standard romantic scenes into something special.
The songs became classics. “Dream Girl” established Hema’s nickname that stuck forever. “Chhupa Chhupi Khelen Aao” featured Dharmendra and Hema’s playful chemistry. The music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal combined with on-screen couple made the soundtrack massive hit.
Dream Girl succeeded commercially, proving star power still mattered in an era where content was supposedly king. People came specifically to watch Dharmendra and Hema together. The plot almost didn’t matter. Their presence sold tickets. That’s movie star charisma distilled.
The film also represented Dharmendra’s commercial peak. Mid 1970s saw him as Bollywood’s top draw, able to open anything with his name attached. Dream Girl capitalized on that stardom while giving audiences exactly what they wanted: entertainment without pretension.
6. Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971): The Film That Defined His Action Hero Image
Credits: The Hindu
Raj Khosla’s Mera Gaon Mera Desh positioned Dharmendra as the righteous action hero defending the powerless. He played Ajit, a reformed criminal who protects a village from Vinod Khanna’s menacing Jabbar Singh. The film combined action, romance, and social commentary about rural oppression.
Ajit’s arc from selfish criminal to selfless protector gave Dharmendra room to show character evolution. Early scenes presented him as morally ambiguous. As the village’s kindness reforms him, Ajit discovers purpose beyond survival. That transformation felt earned rather than sudden because Dharmendra showed the internal shift through body language and choices rather than dialogue.
The action sequences were brutal for their era. Dharmendra did most stunts himself, giving fights visceral quality audiences hadn’t seen in Hindi films before. His physicality made violence feel consequential rather than choreographed dance. When Ajit got hurt, viewers believed it.
His romantic track with Asha Parekh balanced the violence. Their courtship felt organic, developing through shared experiences rather than instant attraction. Dharmendra played Ajit’s growing affection subtly, letting feelings build naturally. It’s refreshing compared to Bollywood’s typical love-at-first-sight formula.
Mera Gaon Mera Desh became one of 1971’s biggest hits, establishing Dharmendra as go-to hero for action-oriented rural dramas. The film’s success spawned countless imitations trying to capture the same formula. But Dharmendra’s performance remained unique. Others might copy the structure. Nobody replicated his screen presence.
7. The Burning Train (1980): Disaster Movie That Showcased Leadership Quality
Credits: YT
Ravi Chopra’s disaster thriller The Burning Train featured Dharmendra as Ashok, the engineer whose train becomes a blazing inferno due to sabotage. Leading an ensemble cast including Vinod Khanna, Jeetendra, and Hema Malini, Dharmendra anchored the spectacle with grounded heroism.
The film was ambitious for Indian cinema, attempting Hollywood-scale disaster sequences on Bollywood budgets. The train fire effects, action choreography, and large-set pieces pushed technical boundaries. Dharmendra’s performance matched the scale without getting lost in spectacle.
As Ashok, he played leadership naturally. Not shouting orders or dominating scenes but organizing people through calm authority. When disaster strikes, Ashok doesn’t panic or speechify. He assesses, plans, and acts. That understated heroism felt more authentic than typical Hindi cinema’s bombastic approach.
The ensemble nature required Dharmendra to share focus with multiple stars. He handled it gracefully, supporting others’ moments while anchoring the overall narrative. That generosity toward co-stars became his trademark, distinguishing him from insecure stars who needed every scene.
The Burning Train succeeded commercially despite mixed reviews. Audiences came for action spectacle and star power. Dharmendra delivered both, proving he could anchor tentpole productions requiring big-budget confidence and technical precision. The film showcased his maturity as performer comfortable with his stardom rather than constantly proving himself.
Drop a comment: Which Dharmendra film is your absolute favorite? Did Sholay’s Veeru define your childhood or did you discover him through different films? Share this tribute with every classic Bollywood fan you know because Dharmendra’s filmography is a masterclass in how to build legendary career one authentic performance at a time.
Follow for more deep dives into Bollywood legends who created the template everyone else copies. Because understanding where Hindi cinema came from means appreciating artists like Dharmendra who didn’t just act in movies. They defined what movies could be.
Seven films. Sixty years. Three hundred plus total movies. But these seven performances capture everything that made Dharmendra the He-Man of Bollywood. The action hero who could cry. The romantic lead who could fight. The comedy performer who could deliver drama. The star who could act. He wasn’t trying to be the blueprint. He was just being himself. Authentic. Vulnerable. Strong. Emotional. Human. And that authenticity created a standard every Bollywood hero since has been measured against. Sholay’s Veeru. Satyakam’s principled engineer. Chupke Chupke’s prankster professor. These aren’t just roles. They’re pieces of cinema history performed by someone who made impossible things look effortless. Dharmendra didn’t choose between being an action star or an actor. He refused that false choice and became both. That’s not just career achievement. That’s revolutionary.
