Salman Khan's Emotional Tribute: Why Dharmendra's Loss Hits Bollywood Hard

The actor, while hosting Bigg Boss Season 19, said that the following week had been extremely heavy not just for the nation but also for the fans and especially the Bollywood industry.

He further, without mentioning Dharmendra's name, said that "this week the industry faced a huge loss".

The actor, expressing his grief further, said, “I wish I were not hosting Bigg Boss this week, but at the end, life goes on.”

For the uninitiated, Dharmendra passed away on November 24 at the age of 89.

Salman Khan was one of the first Bollywood celebrities to arrive both at the crematorium on November 24 and at the prayer meet organised by the Deol family on November 27.

Salman Khan shared an extremely close equation with Dharmendra.

Both actors had starred together in the movie 'Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya', which also starred Kajol and Arbaaz Khan.

Dharmendra’s association with the Khan family spans over 50 years, starting from the era when Salman Khan's father, Salim Khan, co-wrote the iconic classic 'Sholay' with Javed Akhtar.

Dharmendra had essayed the role of Veeru in 'Sholay', a role that to date is touted as one of the finest characters in Bollywood.

On November 25, a day after Dharmendra's demise, many prominent figures from the film world arrived at the Deol residence to offer condolences to the grieving family.

From Jeetendra, Rakesh Roshan, and Rekha to Hrithik Roshan, Varun Dhawan, Jackky Bhagnani, Rakul Preet Singh, Ajay Devgn, and Allu Arjun's father, Allu Aravind, were seen visiting the family to offer condolences.

Dharmendra, who was 89 at the time of passing, would have celebrated his 90th on December 8 this year.

- IANS