He made his debut with the film Teri Meri Ek Jindri, released in 1975, featuring Dharmendra, his cousin.
[2] He was a regular in Punjabi films of the 1980s, often considered its leading hero till his death in 1988, in a murder which remains unsolved.
[2] Some of his more popular films were Lambhardarni, Balbiro Bhabhi and Dushmani Dee Agg, which was released after his death.
He was shot to death in 1988[5] and is survived by his wife Pammi and two sons, Randeep and Ramandeep Arya.
Both sons have been active in the entertainment industry: Randeep became a television producer after a short acting career, and is married to actress Deepti Bhatnagar; Ramandeep has served as assistant director to the likes of Sanjay Gupta and Rajiv Rai and is married to actress Chandana Sharma.