Sholay, Dharamveer, Satyakam: 10 golden films of Dharmendra that defined impressive career

Dharmendra, the legendary actor who captured the hearts of many for so many years, passed away on Monday, 24th November 2025. The legend gave multiple unforgettable roles in cinema that showcase his legacy in Indian cinema. Let's recall his best works in Bollywood, which have lived rent-free in the hearts of fans for generations.

One of the best movies that shows the greatest friendship. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, the story revolves around Jai and Veeru, played by Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, respectively. These two ex-convicts are hired by Thakur Baldev Singh, a retired policeman, to capture the bandit named Gabbar Singh, who has terrorised the village of Ramgarh.

Featuring Dharmendra and Jeetendra in the movie directed by Manmohan Desai. The story revolves around twin brothers named Dharam and Veer, who were separated at birth, but later they turn evil toward each other.

One of the golden movies that stars Dharmendra along with Sanjeev Kumar as a narrator, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The story centres on Satyapriya, played by Dharmendra, who was raised by his grandfather, who taught him to be truthful and upright. The plot twists when he marries Ranjana, played by Sharmila Tagore, who is a woman pregnant from a rape, and he is unable to accept her or her child fully.

The movie is a romantic drama that focuses on a criminal named Shaka who rescues a widowed woman, Shanti, right after her cruel in-laws left her. Both characters form a unique relationship and show each other support and kindness towards each other.

The movie synopsis revolves around three brothers named Shankar, Vijay, and Ratan, who were separated after their parents' deaths and no longer remember each other. The turning point comes when all three brothers reunite through a shared song, “Yaadon Ki Baaraat."

In the 1974 film, the story focuses on the true friendship of Maanav, played by Dharmendra, who befriends Gopichand, played by Shatrughan Sinha, who is a thief. The story continues with Maanav, who tries to make a change in Gopichand's life by getting him a job in a good company. Then comes Hema Malini, who plays Kaajal, the daughter of a rich businessman. She is a spoiled brat who falls in love with Maanav and brings complexity to the friendship between Dharmendra's and Shatrughan Sinha's characters.

The story follows Suraj, played by Dharmendra, who returns to India while escaping a violent attack in Uganda after his father's death and his sister's abduction. Suraj's life turned upside down when he found out that the caretaker at his house had stolen the property and become a drug smuggler. He then joins the police to take down Kalicharan's international drug racket.

The movie revolves around Ajit, played by Dharmendra, who is a petty thief arrested by Jaswant Singh. After his release, he falls in love with a beautiful girl, Anju, played by Asha Parekh. The story had a massive turn when Ajit got to know that a bandit named Jabbar Singh, played by Vinod Khanna, was terrorising the village. Ajit decides to fight Jabbar, but Jabbar kidnaps Anju.

Dharmendra played the role of Ashok, a son of a wealthy businessman who is passionate about cars, whereas Vinod Khanna played Vinod Verma, a railway engineer who launched the Super Express, which is India's fastest passenger train. However, it goes out of control on its maiden journey due to a bomb, and both come to rescue the people stuck in the train, which catches fire.

The movie is an emotional family and sports drama that showcases a character named Baldev Singh Choudhary, played by Dharmendra, who is a respected former boxer. The plot of the story continues with the desire of Baldev to restore his honour and fulfil his unaccomplished boxing dreams, but when his younger son, named Karan, played by Bobby Deol, is injured in the ring, the elder one, named Angad, played by Sunny Deol, decides to fulfil his father's dream.