Veteran actor Dharmendra, one of Bollywood’s most beloved icons, passed away on Monday, 24 November, at the age of 89. Tributes continue to pour in from the film fraternity, and now actor Mukesh Khanna has shared an emotional account of his last meeting with the legendary star.
Khanna, speaking on his YouTube channel, revealed that just days before Dharmendra’s passing, he had visited the Deol residence—only to find a complete ICU-like medical setup arranged within the house.
“I visited him just five or six days before…”
Recalling the visit, Khanna said,
“I went to meet him five or six days before he passed away, right after he was brought home from the hospital. The family had arranged an entire ICU inside the house. I knew I wouldn’t be able to talk to him properly, but something compelled me to go.”
During this visit, Khanna met Dharmendra’s sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol.
“I told them he was strong. I hoped he would fight through it. But in the end, destiny has its own plan,” he said.
“His body gave up, but his soul kept moving forward”
Khanna described Dharmendra’s passing as deeply shocking because many believed he had the strength to recover.
“His body gave up, but his soul kept moving forward. He had an extraordinarily beautiful soul,” he said.
A Legacy of Humility and Warmth
Speaking emotionally, Khanna added:
“His simplicity and humility were his greatest strengths. Even in his final months, despite his deteriorating health, his face radiated positivity. A truly good human being has left us.”
He stopped short of calling Dharmendra the greatest actor, but firmly stated:
“He was one of the greatest human beings. Very few actors make people feel as comfortable and loved as he did.”
Bobby Deol’s Anecdote: A Home Always Open to Strangers
Khanna also shared a heartwarming story narrated to him by Bobby Deol—an anecdote that captures Dharmendra’s unmatched warmth.
Bobby had once stepped out of his room on the second floor and found a stranger walking around. When he asked who he was, the man replied, “We’ve come from Punjab, sir. We wanted to meet Dharam Paaji.”
Bobby simply asked him to come downstairs.
Khanna highlighted this rare openness:
“Today, who lets strangers walk into their homes without security? Bobby told me—‘My father always kept the house open. People came from Punjab, he welcomed them, offered them tea, talked to them. Who does that today?’”
“Nobody dared misbehave around him”
Khanna further said that Dharmendra never needed bouncers or heavy security.
“He had such a noble personality that no one could even think of misbehaving in his presence,” he added.
Bollywood Pays Tribute
On Thursday, a “Celebration of Life” prayer meet was held at Taj Lands End, Bandra, where several Bollywood celebrities gathered to pay their respects.
Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rekha, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Vidya Balan, Karan Johar, Jackie Shroff, Suniel Shetty and many others attended the condolence gathering.
Dharmendra’s sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, daughters Ajeita and Vijeta, and grandsons Karan and Rajveer Deol were visibly emotional. Actor Abhay Deol was also present.
Notably, Hema Malini and her daughters Esha and Ahana Deol were not seen at the event.
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