Bollywood star Dharmendra has died in the Indian city of Mumbai at the age of 89.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the actor, saying his passing marks the end of an era in Indian cinema.

Dharmendra, who often described himself as a simple man, commanded extraordinary affection and loyalty from his tens of millions of fans.

Best known as Veeru, the lovable petty criminal in the 1975 blockbuster Sholay, he appeared in over 300 films, many hits, captivating audiences for decades.

Songs featuring him topped the charts, and his romance and marriage with Hema Malini made headlines.

Dubbed the original He-Man of Bollywood and Garam (hot) Dharam, the actor often made it to global lists of most handsome men in his heyday and female fans were known to sleep with his photographs under their pillows.

Bollywood stars weren't immune to his charms either - over the years actress Madhuri Dixit described him as one of the most handsome people I have seen on screen, superstar Salman Khan said Dharmendra was the most beautiful looking man and actress Jaya Bachchan called him a Greek God.

Dharmendra always said he was embarrassed by talk of his good looks and attributed it to nature, my parents and my genes.

Born on 8 December 1935 in Nasrali village in Punjab's Ludhiana district in a middle-class Jatt-Sikh family, he was named Dharam Singh Deol by his schoolteacher father.

In a 2018 interview with BBC Hindi, he said his father wanted him to study, but he fell in love with films early on and wanted to be a hero.

I watched my first film when I was in the ninth standard and I was hooked. I was wondering, where is this heaven where all these beautiful people live? I thought I must find my way there. I felt like they were mine and I belonged to them.

But when he told his family, they were appalled.

My mother said, 'you are our eldest child, you have family responsibilities'. I was very sad. So when we heard about the All India Talent Contest by Filmfare magazine, to humour me, she said, 'ok, send in your application'. We didn't think I would be selected.

But then he won the contest and moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) and the rest, as they say, is history.

For three decades - after debuting with Dil Bhi Tera, Hum Bhi Tere (The heart is yours and so am I) in 1960 - he ruled Bollywood, delivering several hits a year.

Dharmendra first rose to fame with Bimal Roy's 1963 film Bandini, earning praise for his elegant portrayal of a prison doctor who falls for a convict.

He soon became a romantic hero, pairing successfully with top actresses like Nutan, Meena Kumari, Mala Sinha, and Saira Banu.

In 1966, he did his first action role in Phool Aur Patthar (Flower and rock), but it was the 1971 hit Mera Gaon Mera Desh (My village, my country) which cemented his reputation as an action hero.

Tall and well-built, Dharmendra often did his own action scenes, involving daring stunts, even taking risks.

Besides romance and action, the actor also delivered thrillers and comedies that were hits. Critics praised him for his impeccable comic timing in the hilarious 1975 film Chupke Chupke.

Over the years, Dharmendra said he was cast against 70 heroines, but his most successful screen pairing was with Hema Malini, who later became his second wife.

The couple first met at a film premiere in 1965, and their romance bloomed in the 1970s, making headlines as Dharmendra was already married with grown-up children from his first wife, Prakash Kaur.

Dharmendra also ventured into politics. He served as the BJP MP from Bikaner in Rajasthan from 2005 to 2009 but was criticized for his lack of attendance over his priorities in filmmaking.

Dharmendra's passing has left a significant void in the heart of Indian cinema, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fans and colleagues alike, reinforcing his enduring legacy.