'Your warm protective hugs that felt like the cosiest blanket, holding your soft yet strong hands which had unspoken messages & your voice calling out my name that followed with endless conversations, laughter & shayaris.'
Dharmendra passed into the ages days before his 90th birthday.
On his 90th death anniversary his daughter Esha Deol, sons Sunny and Bobby Deol and nephew Abhay Deol remember the late movie legend.
Esha Deol:
'To my darling Papa
'Our pact, the strongest bond. "us" through all our lifetimes, all the realms and beyond ….. We are always together papa. Be it heaven or earth. We are one.
'For now I have very tenderly, carefully & preciously tucked you in my heart … deep deep inside to carry on with me for the rest of this lifetime.
'The magical precious memories….. life lessons, the teachings, the guidance, the warmth, the unconditional love, the dignity and the strength you have given me as your daughter cannot be replaced or matched by any other.
'I so painfully miss you papa … your warm protective hugs that felt like the cosiest blanket, holding your soft yet strong hands which had unspoken messages & your voice calling out my name that followed with endless conversations, laughter & shayaris. Your motto "always be humble, be happy, healthy & strong".
'I promise to continue your legacy with pride & respect.
'And I will try my best to spread your love to the millions who love you as I do.
'I love you papa
'Your darling daughter,
'Your Esha, your Bittu'
Bobby Deol composes an emotional poem for his father:
Mere Pyaare Papa aur Hamare Pyaare Dharam,
Aapki soch main yeh likh raha hoon.
Duniya mein itna pyaar nahi jitna aapne hum sabhi ko diya.
Har muskurahat, har tapakte aansoo mein saath nibhaya,
Har mushkil mein haath badhaya. Us tarah jis tarah sirf hum sab ke Dharam kar sakte the.
Aap star banne toh sabko saath leke haath thaam ke aage badhe,
Kisi ka haath nahi chhoda.
Aapke humare Punjab ke Dango ka, Sahnewal ka, Bharat ka jhanda garv se lehraya.
He-Man ho aap sab ke,
Lekin bachpan se hi aap mere hero ho.
Aap hi se humne sapne dekhna seekha,
Aap hi se humne atmvishwas karna seekha,
Aapke sanskaar se hum Deol banne.
Dil ho to aapke jaisa,
Junoon ho to aapke jaisa,
Pyaar karo to aapke jaisa,
Insaan bano to aapke jaisa.
Papa ho aap mere,
Lekin Dharam ho aap hum sab ke.
Proud to be yours.
Happy Birthday, my precious Papa.
Love you forever and always.
Sunny Deol shares a throwback video with Dharmendra. In that clip, Sunny is heard asking, 'Papa, are you enjoying?' Dharmendra smiles and replies, 'I am really enjoying my son.' Sunny responds, 'It's beautiful.'
Sunny writes, 'आज मेरे पापा का जन्मदिन है। पापा हमेशा मेरे साथ हैं, मेरे अंदर हैं लव यू पापा। मिस यू।'
Nephew Abhay Deol recalls, 'Must've been 1985 or '86. I had just been scolded so I was upset. He called me to him, sat me down by his side and said, "look at the light", and had the photographer click this pic.
'I look forward to the moment I hear him say those words to me again, when my time comes.'
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
