Veteran actor Dharmendra died on Monday at the age of 89 following a brief illness. He was just days shy of his 90th birthday.
Tributes continue to pour in for the legendary star, who was equally at home in playing the action hero in Sholay as he portraying the charming botany professor in Chupke Chupke and a man of principles in Satyakam.
While Dharmendra was a proud son of the soil who never forgot his roots in Punjab, he held a special place in his heart for Pakistan and his Pakistani fans. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was one of the actor's many admirers from across the border.
An old clip of Dharmendra calling Pakistan his "mausi maa" is going viral on social media. In the same video, the actor also expressed hope for India-Pakistan unification.
"At this beautiful function over here which has brought (together) artistes from the two countries, I would like to say a few words in Hindi. Hindustan agar meri maa hai, Bharat maa hai, toh Pakistan meri mausi maa hai.
"Ab ye do maayein gale mil jayengi toh hum bachchon ke liye kitna sukoon naseeb hoga. Dua kariye Allah se, Bhagwan se, Waheguru se ki hum sab ek ho jayein (If India is my mother, Pakistan is my aunt. If these two mothers embrace each other now, how much peace we children will finally have. Please pray to Allah, Bhagwan, Waheguru so that we are reunited. Be happy)" Dharmendra says in the clip.
According to the video, hundreds of audience members, which also included veteran actor Rekha, can be seen giving a huge round of applause to the actor for his remarks from the stage. The event was apparently hosted by Dharmendra's frequent co-star and close industry friend Amitabh Bachchan.
Early Tuesday morning, Amitabh Bachchan -- who worked with Dharmendra in classics such as Sholay, Chupke Chupke, and Ram Balram -- paid a rich tribute to the late star on social media.
He wrote, "... another valiant giant has left us... left the arena... leaving behind a silence with an unbearable sound..."
Amitabh Bachchan, along with son Abhishek Bachchan and grandson Agastya Nanda, attended Dharmendra's last rites on Monday afternoon at the Pawan Hans crematorium.
Dharmendra will be seen on the big screen one last time in war drama Ikkis, starring Agastya Nanda. Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the movie is slated to be released on December 25, a month after his death.
Also Read | Dharmendra's Last Video Message On Instagram Goes Viral After His Death: "Bhagwan Aapko Lambi Sehat De"
