‘Always hungry for people's love, Dharmendra was OG heartthrob'

Considered the most handsome star of his generation, Dharmendra also garnered love from Gen Z and had 2.6 million followers on Instagram

- Shobhaa De

“Iam hungry for the love of the people... Ican never get enough of it,” actor Dharmendra, who died in Mumbai on Monday, a few days short of his 90th birthday, often confessed. He craved “genuine human connection, far more than fame or riches”, he liked to say.

The star who had 2.6 million followers on Instagram had become a recent phenomenon for Gen Z admirers who loved his authenticity, sense of humour, and unscripted speech delivered with a big smile and multiple kisses blown at the camera.

On social media, he described himself as a poet, frequently sharing the Urdu couplets he composed. But for those of a certain vintage, Dharmendra was the OG movie heartthrob in the mould of global romantic icons like Rudolph Valentino. Women of all ages fell madly in love with Dharmendra. I don’t know about Valentino, but Dharmendra gallantly obliged every female fan who approached him for an autograph, hug, or more.