When Dharmendra Shared His Wish To Work Till His Last Breath, 'As An Actor I Believe In Dying...'

Dharmendra, Bollywood’s beloved 'He-Man', has passed away just weeks before his 90th birthday on December 8, 2025. For the unversed, Dharmendra took his last breath on November 24, 2025. His final rites were held at Mumbai’s Pawan Hans crematorium. Amid the heartbreaking news, we came across an old interview of the veteran actor where he expressed his wish to work till his last breath.

For the unversed, Dharmendra made his acting debut in 1960 with the film, Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere. From romantic to action roles, Dharmendra has proved his versatility over the years. He ensured to entertain his fans and had worked for more than six decades. Sriram Raghavan's upcoming movie, Ikkis, starring Dharmendra and Agastya Nanda is marked as the veteran actor’s last film. But do you know that Dharmendra’s rising career had hit a rough patch in the early '80s? Yes, you read it right. So, without wasting any time further, let’s find out how the veteran dealt with the situation back then.

Dharmendra expressed his wish to work till his last breath

Back in 1983, Dharmendra’s film, Razia Sultan, co-starring Hema Malini, became a box office disaster. As the movie was the most anticipated film of that year, the world believed that his career was over. In a 1983 interview with Hindustan Times, the veteran actor was asked if the year marked an end to his career. In response, Dharmendra expressed his wish to work till his last breath. He also shared that it was a deliberate decision of his to step back for some time. He was quoted as saying:

"As an actor, I believe in dying with my boots on. And in that respect, 'the end' is certainly nowhere near as far as I can tell you."

Dharmendra opened up about his film offers during the early '80s

In the same interview, Dharmendra opened up about his film offers. He shared that the top producers didn’t think twice about casting him twice in their films. He then highlighted that he had been out of the news as film magazines took an interest in young actors. The veteran actor mentioned that he didn’t hold any grudge for anyone. He was quoted as saying:

"I don't grudge or envy anybody anything. By the grace of God, I have enough films even today, and some of the top producers and banners never think twice about repeating me. I'm definitely not out. Maybe I have just been a bit out of the news of late because film magazines have new, young stars to gossip about now, but most of the new films you've mentioned have been in a state of production for some time."

More about Dharmendra's illustrious professional career

Dharmendra stepped into the film industry and made his debut in 1960 with the film, Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere. Over the years, he had given several hits to the industry, including Sholay, Apne, Phool Aur Patthar, Seeta Aur Geeta, and Hukumat. After ruling the industry from the 1960s to the 1980s, Dharmendra shifted to character roles. His role in Karan Johar’s film, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, became the talk of the town.

He shared screen space with the young actors, Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh and also with veteran actress, Shabana Azmi. It is worth mentioning that Dharmendra was true to his words and passed away with his boots on, as his upcoming film, Ikkis, will soon hit the big screens. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson, Agastya Nanda. The film is scheduled to release on Christmas 2025.

Team BollywoodShaadis offers our heartfelt condolences to Dharmendra's family.

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