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At the Chetak Screen Awards held in Mumbai on Sunday evening, the Lifetime Achievement Award, was posthumously conferred on veteran actor Dharmendra, recognising his contribution to cinema across a career that spanned more than six decades. The award was presented by Javed Akhtar, Ramesh Sippy and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and was accepted by late Dharmendra’s son Bobby Deol.
Before the honour was presented, a collection of Dharmendra’s images was presented in a video with Amitabh Bachchan reciting a few lines from Dharmendra’s poetry.
Javed Akhtar recalled some of his memories with Dharmendra and said, “We are here to do a task, which is almost impossible. Writers deal with words, but sometimes words fail a writer and this is one occasion so I have decided I won’t say anything which is obvious. I won’t say he was the most handsome man in screen history. I will not tell you that he was the most versatile actor who was, on one hand, the He-Man, and on the other, equally convincing as a poet, as a professor, as a doctor. I won’t say his career was 65 years long. I will not say that in those 65 years, not even for a day, he went out of the market. I will not say because you know it.”
Akhtar also recalled his memory of meeting Dharmendra for the first time as a 20-year-old. He said, “I met him when I was 20 years old in 1965. I was earning Rs 175 and was working as an assistant director. Somebody introduced me to him, and I have no idea why he shook my hand with so much warmth. As an AD, I have clapped on so many shots of Dharam ji. I have written films for him. He called me and said, ‘I am launching my son and I need you to write the script’. That was Betaab, Sunny Deol’s debut film.”
He added, “We had a long relationship, and it is very strange why he gave me so much love, but I should not be so proud because I think he has given so much love to so many people. People who are successful are respected and admired, but here was a person whom this whole film industry loved. I want to point out something very unusual about Dharamji‘s personality. He was a very dignified man, and at the same time, he was an extremely humble person. He was a strange combination of tremendous self-restraint, dignity, and complete humility. This is a strange combination; perhaps this is by whomever he met, they fell in love with him. Thank you very much for giving him this honour.”
My father opened the locks of everyone’s heart: Bobby Deol
Visibly emotional as he took the stage, Bobby reflected on his father’s legacy while accepting the honour, saying, “I see my father’s love in all your eyes. My dad has touched all your hearts without knowing you, with his work and through his social media. Instagram reels was his new hobby. He always wanted that people stay happy. He always believed that we all have a gift, and if we start believing it, we can achieve anything in life. That’s why he worked in this industry for so many years.”
He added, “He also faced good and bad days, but he never gave up. Wherever I go, whomever I meet, I receive so much love because my father opened the locks of everyone’s heart for my brother and me. People love my father so much that they accept my brother and me without thinking. I still feel I will go back home and tell him that I got this award for him. I am very blessed, and I’m grateful to God for making me his son. Thank you so much SCREEN. Papa, you are the best.”
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About Dharmendra
With a filmography of over 300 titles, Dharmendra remained one of Hindi cinema’s most enduring stars. During the 1960s and 1970s, he held his ground even as contemporaries like Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan rose to immense popularity.
Born in 1935 in a village in Punjab’s Ludhiana district to a schoolteacher, Dharmendra’s journey into films began after he won a talent contest organised by a film magazine. He made his Hindi film debut with Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960), but it was Shola Aur Shabnam (1961) that marked his first major breakthrough, before delivering some of his most critically regarded performances in Anupama (1966) and Satyakam (1969), both directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.
The 1970s proved to be a defining decade, with Dharmendra starring in a string of popular films including Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Pratigya, Chupke Chupke, Dream Girl, Dharam Veer, and Seeta Aur Geeta. By the time he appeared in the blockbuster Sholay (1975), he had firmly established himself as Hindi cinema’s iconic “He-Man.”
Later in life, Dharmendra briefly entered politics, contesting the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Bikaner in Rajasthan and serving as a Member of Parliament until 2009. Though he did not continue in politics, his later years in cinema included notable appearances in films such as Life in a Metro, Johnny Gaddaar, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. His swan song, Ikkis, marked the closing chapter of a remarkable journey. He passed away in November last year.
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Dharmendra is survived by his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol; daughters Ajeeta and Vijayta; as well as Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. He is also survived by his first wife Prakash Kaur and second wife Hema Malini.
About Screen Awards
Instituted by The Indian Express Group, the Screen Awards is regarded among the country’s most credible film honours, emphasising merit, integrity, and peer recognition. For the 2026 edition, nominations and winners were decided by the Screen Academy, an independent, not-for-profit body comprising 53 filmmakers, artistes and cultural practitioners, underscoring the transparency and credibility of the selection process.
The ceremony was hosted by Alia Bhatt, along with stand-up comedian Zakir Khan and actor Sunil Grover, and journalist Saurabh Dwivedi (Editor – Hindi, The Indian Express).
Watch Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE on YouTube, Sony Entertainment Television, and Sony LIV
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