Dharmendra health update: Dharmendra ‘doing better than before,’ say family sources; Shatrughan Sinha checks his wellbeing

Dharmendra spoke about his first love on Salman Khan’s show Dus Ka Dum, where he appeared with his son Bobby Deol. The actor revealed that long before fame found him, he was a simple schoolboy living in a small Punjabi village before the Partition of 1947, and his heart belonged to a girl named Hamida, the daughter of his school teacher.

He shared that he was in the sixth standard while Hamida was in the eighth. She was older, gentle, and often helped him with his studies. Dharmendra admitted that he admired her silently, too shy to ever express his feelings.

Their innocent bond never went beyond brief exchanges. After the Partition in 1947, Hamida’s family moved to Pakistan, while Dharmendra remained in India. He never saw her again.

In an earlier interview, Dharmendra shared how his father would often sit by the gate, resting his head on his walking stick, simply waiting for him to come home. His father would say, “I don’t want anything—just come home early and spend a little time with me.”

He reflected on how, over time, he began to understand his parents’ feelings more deeply. Now, he too feels the same need for his children’s presence, just as his parents once longed for his. Dharmendra mentioned that Sunny and Bobby tend to keep a little distance from him, but he wishes his sons would sit with him and talk openly.

Dharmendra said that parents want nothing more than togetherness. He added, “Ungli pakad chalna sikhaya tha jinko, kadam unse milake chalna mushkil ho gaya. Shikayat yahi rahi hogi maa-baap ki mujh se… kaash is ehsaas ne uss waqt jagaya hota. Aaj jis dard se main guzar raha hoon, maa-baap ka woh dard mitaya hota.”

Dharmendra, who continues to act even today, and is the most successful actor in terms of hits delivered, with sources citing between 94 and 99 hits. He is considered one of the most commercially successful and popular actors in Indian cinema history.

Dharmendra will be seen in his next project, Sriram Raghavan’s highly anticipated film Ikkis. The will be sharing the screen with Agastya Nanda, grandson of Amitabh Bachchan. The film is ready for release on December 25, 2025.

Dharmendra's fans have been worried about his health but it is said to be 'steadily improving'. It is also shared that Dharmendra’s family led by wife Hema Malini has begun planning a celebration for his 90th birthday.