India, Nov. 16 -- Recent rumours of cine star Dharmendra's death ahead of his 90th birthday were put to rest by his wife Hema Malini, who confirmed that he is very much alive and recuperating at home - a reassuring update, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery. The inaccurate news, though, prompted me to reflect on his remarkable cinematic career and indelible persona.

In the luminous firmament of Hindi cinema, where stars rise like fleeting comets only to fade with passing time, Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol stands out as a rare celestial body whose brilliance has endured for decades. He remains, to borrow the affectionate sobriquet that clung to his persona, the 'He-Man' of Bollywood - who was also the irresistible romantic hero a...