Dharmendra’s death: Hundreds throng Mumbai crematorium, triggering major traffic snarl on SV Road as Bollywood stars bid farewell
Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra passed away on Monday morning owing to age-related issues. Actors Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan were among those who visited the crematorium.
Dharmendra’s funeral in Mumbai drew huge crowds, leading to major traffic chaos around Santacruz as fans and celebrities arrived for his final rites. (Express Photo by Akash Patil)
As a large crowd of fans and well-wishers gathered to pay final respects to legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra, 89, at the Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle where his final rites were conducted on Monday, Mumbai’s SV Road leading to Santacruz witnessed a major traffic snarl.
The veteran actor passed away in the morning owing to age-related concerns. Around 400 to 500 fans had gathered outside the crematorium to catch a glimpse of the Bollywood stars who arrived for the Sholay actor’s cremation. The crowd spilled onto the streets, making it difficult for vehicles to pass. The movement of VIPs who had come to attend the funeral ceremony added to the chaos, further slowing down traffic.
The crowd spilled onto the streets, making it difficult for vehicles to pass. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
The traffic police and local police officers from Juhu and Santacruz tried to manage the situation, even as the massive turnout reflected the actor’s immense popularity. “The Mumbai police have been continuously handling the crowd for the last three hours, but people are still coming from across the city,” said a traffic police officer.
Women and children have been standing on the road outside the crematorium for over an hour, another police officer said, adding, “They do not listen and are disrupting traffic movement.”
Several Bollywood actors, including Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Sanjay Dutt, arrived at the crematorium for the final rites. Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri were also seen, besides actors Shabana Azmi, Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan.
Dharmendra, who was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital for routine medical tests earlier this month, remained in the hospital for nearly 10 days. He was discharged on November 12 and was recovering at home after that. In recent days, several false reports had circulated regarding his death, prompting the family to step in and issue clarifications.
Dharmendra’s wife, actor Hema Malini, and daughter Esha Deol had also shared health updates via social media earlier. His son Sunny Deol and other family members too requested privacy at the time.
Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region.
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The crowd spilled onto the streets, making it difficult for vehicles to pass. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
