Dharmendra’s Brief, Turbulent Foray Into Politics
Dharmendra, who ruled Hindi cinema for decades, entered politics in 2004 as the BJP’s Bikaner candidate and won by a large margin, but soon grew disillusioned with public life. Despite his star appeal and claims of working for his constituency, his low parliamentary attendance drew criticism, and he later admitted he felt “suffocated” in politics and regretted joining. Though he stepped away after 2009, he supported his wife Hema Malini and son Sunny Deol in their electoral journeys, while occasionally commenting on national issues such as the farmers’ protest—posts he often retracted amid backlash.
Update: 2025-11-24 12:53 GMT