‘Felt Dharmendra with me, asking me to collect Padma Vibhushan’: Hema Malini

4 min readMumbaiJul 9, 2026 01:48 PM IST

Dharmendra passed away last year in November.

The passing of veteran actor Dharmendra last year left the Hindi film industry and generations of admirers in mourning. Remembered as one of Indian cinema’s most enduring stars, his absence continues to be deeply felt. Recently, his wife, veteran actor Hema Malini, reflected on receiving the Padma Vibhushan on his behalf and recalled feeling his presence during the emotional moment.

‘He wanted that all of us should be together’

Speaking to HT City, Hema said, “It was an emotional, yet exciting moment for me. His seven decades of work was recognised. That I was able to go on stage and receive it, was the biggest moment. As I was going towards Rashtrapati ji to receive it, I could feel him behind me, making me walk up, saying ‘go ahead to collect it’.”

She also spoke about how Dharmendra always wanted the family to remain close-knit. Reflecting on his wishes after his passing, Hema said, “He would say ‘I am fond of my family’, hamesha united rehne ko bolte the. He wanted that all of us should be together. He was fond of all his children, his grandchildren in that house, my house. He enjoyed his life and lived it to the fullest. He achieved those things which normal human beings don’t get, and became what he wanted to right from the beginning. A young boy from a small village in Punjab came to Mumbai and achieved so much. Today, the whole country loves him, so many in the world do, and that person loved me. You can understand how proud I feel.”

‘Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol are wonderful boys’

In a separate conversation with Hindi Rush, Hema reiterated that the family continues to stay united despite public speculation. Recalling Dharmendra’s advice, she shared, “Dharam ji would always say, be with the kids as much as possible. Spend time with the children, with the family. He always said, be united with the family, that is very important in today’s times, which doesn’t really happen now. These days, kids go their separate ways.”

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When asked about the last message Dharmendra left for the family, Hema said, “This is exactly what he said, ‘Be with the family. Be together with all of them. Work can keep happening but family should be given utmost importance’.” Speaking about Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, Dharmendra’s sons from his first marriage to Prakash Kaur, Hema described them as “wonderful boys” and emphasised that the family shares a warm bond away from the public eye. “They are very sweet. Sunny is very nice. Bobby is very good. We are all always together. We don’t do any publicity but internally we are all good. We are all united. We are a very happy family,” she said.

Earlier this year, Bobby Deol accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chetak SCREEN Awards on behalf of his late father. Fighting back tears, he dedicated the honour to Dharmendra’s legacy and the love he continues to receive from audiences. “I see my father’s love in all your eyes. My father touched everyone’s hearts through his work and even through his Instagram reels, which had become his new hobby,” Bobby said. He added, “He always wanted people to stay happy and believed that God has given all of us so much in life. He used to say that we all have a special gift within us, and if we believe in it, we can achieve anything.”

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Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur in 1954, and the couple had two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. He later married Hema Malini in 1980, and they have two daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.