Bollywood celebrities visit Dharmendra's family to offer condolences

Mumbai, Nov 25 (PTI) A day after veteran star Dharmendra's death, prominent faces from Bollywood including Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn visited the screen icon's house in suburban Juhu to offer condolences to the family.

Dharmendra died on Monday just weeks shy of his 90th birthday after prolonged illness.

The usually vibrant lanes of Juhu, which lead to the actor's residence, wore a sombre look, and not much movement was witnessed after weeks of media presence that led the family to publicly request privacy and respect.

Over half a dozen private security guards were stationed outside the house as celebrities including Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Farah Khan, Ananya Panday, Bhavna Panday, Anu Malik and others were spotted at the Deol family home. Dharmendra's nephew Abhay Deol was seen visiting his cousins.

The family, after being forced to publicly deny the false news of the actor's death reported by several media outlets on November 11, has kept quiet so far.

Dharmendra was not keeping well for a while and was in and out of a Mumbai hospital. The actor was discharged on November 12 with the family deciding to continue his treatment at home.

Media speculation around Dharmendra's health also led the family, including Hema Malini and daughter Esha Deol, to publicly issue statements with a request that their privacy be respected.

In a rare outburst, Sunny Deol scolded paparazzi stationed outside and told them to maintain a dignified distance. Dharmendra's death at 89 led to an outpouring of grief by personalities from every walk of life with many celebrities sharing anecdotes about the late actor's kind nature and affable personality. Dharmendra, born Dharam Singh Deol in Punjab in 1935, enjoyed a remarkable six-decade career, featuring in over 300 films and headlining classics such as "Sholay", "Chupke Chupke", "Satyakam, "Anupama", "Seeta Aur Geeta" and many others. He was widely celebrated for his versatility across action, romance and comedy. PTI KKP BK ZMN