Mumbai, Nov. 24 -- Veteran actor Dharmendra, one of India's most beloved and enduring film legends, passed away at his Mumbai residence on Monday at the age of 89. Filmmaker Karan Johar confirmed the demise in an emotional social media post.

An official statement from Dharmendra's family is still awaited. The news comes just weeks ahead of his 90th birthday on December 8.

"It is an end of an ERA..... a massive mega star... the embodiment of a HERO in mainstream cinema... incredibly handsome and the most enigmatic screen presence ... he is and will always be a bonafide Legend of Indian Cinema... defining and richly present in the pages of cinema history ... but mostly he was the best human being... he was so loved by everyone in our indu...