Veteran actor Dharmendra, one of Hindi cinema's most loved stars, died on November 24 at the age of 89. Tributes have poured in from across the industry, but one of the most emotional ones came from comedian and actor Kapil Sharma, who shared a deeply personal memory of the legend during a recent conversation at the trailer launch of his film Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2. For Kapil, Dharmendra was not just a superstar; he was family.
Kapil recalled that when The Kapil Sharma Show was being conceptualised for the very first time, there was a great deal of uncertainty. Nobody knew what the show would eventually look like, and the team was struggling to lock the first celebrity guest. "Nobody was ready to come," Kapil shared. "We were new, and no one knew what our show was going to be."
That changed during a flight to Toronto, where Kapil happened to meet Dharmendra ji by chance. What began as a coincidence turned into a warm friendship. "You won't believe it, Dharam paaji told us jokes throughout the entire flight," Kapil said. "By the end of it, we had become such good friends."
Encouraged by that unexpected bond, Kapil later visited Dharmendra to personally invite him to appear as the inaugural guest on his new show. He remembers the moment vividly. "He didn't ask a single question," Kapil said. "I told him I was making a show for the first time and wanted him to be our first guest."
Dharmendra, who had a film releasing at the time and a packed schedule, simply turned to his team member - Poonam - and said, "This is my son, give him a date somehow."
Kapil shared that Dharmendra's generosity, warmth and fatherly affection filled a void in his own life. He lost his father at the age of 22. Dharmendra became that figure for him. "Losing him felt like losing my father for the second time," Kapil said.
Reflecting on the loss, Kapil added that while it is the truth of life that everyone must go one day, with certain people the heart always wishes for just a little more time, one more meeting. "He lived like a king. There was no one like Dharam paaji, and there never will be."
Kapil ended his tribute with a tender smile, saying that remembering Dharm paaji always brings warmth to the heart.