JAIPUR: As India grieves the loss of Dharmendra, one of its most beloved film stars, in Bikaner, the sorrow runs differently. For many here, he was not just the “He-Man” of Hindi cinema but a former representative who once stepped into Parliament on their mandate at the start of the 21st century.

Dharmendra entered active politics in 2004, contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Bikaner constituency on a BJP ticket. He made the move during the party’s “India Shining” campaign and, along with actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, met senior BJP leader L.K. Advani before entering the fray.

In that election, the Congress had fielded senior leader Rameshwar Dudi. With no strong alternative to take on Dudi, the BJP turned to Dharmendra in the Jat belt of Rajasthan politics. The contest that followed was intense. Dharmendra’s sons and famous actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, campaigned extensively in Bikaner, and the actor won the seat with a decisive margin of 57,000 votes.

Despite the decisive victory, Dharmendra’s nature never aligned with the rough edges of politics. After completing a five-year term, he walked away from electoral life, later explaining that politics “was not the place” for him. He never returned to contest another election.

Political observers recall that Dharmendra refrained from making personal attacks during his campaign. Remarkably, he never mentioned Rameshwar Dudi by name while canvassing. Whenever asked about his opponent’s strength, Dharmendra would say simply, “Rameshwar is like my younger brother.”

However, his absence from Bikaner in the first year of his term sparked a public row. Some residents put up posters declaring him “missing,” a move that deeply affected the actor-turned-MP. Dharmendra soon returned to the constituency, met people on the ground, and began actively utilising his MP quota.