Esha Deol Pens Emotional Note For Her ‘Darling Papa’ Dharmendra After His Death: ‘I Painfully Miss You’

A little over ten days after veteran actor Dharmendra’s death, his daughter Esha Deol — born to Hema Malini — has shared an emotional note on Instagram. Dharmendra, who was also father to Ahana Deol and,

from his first marriage with Prakash Kaur, father to Sunny and Bobby Deol, passed away on 24 November. It would have been the actor’s 90th birthday today.

Earlier in November, the 89-year-old actor had been admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after his health deteriorated. Though he was discharged and brought home under medical supervision, his condition did not improve, and he died at his residence.

In her post on his birth anniversary today, Esha shared a picture with her father and began by writing, “To my darling Papa. Our pact, the strongest bond . ‘us’ through all our lifetimes, all the realms and beyond ….. We are always together papa . Be it heaven or earth . We are one .”

She continued, “For now I have very tenderly, carefully & preciously tucked you in my heart … deep deep inside to carry on with me for the rest of this lifetime.”

She then reflected on what he meant to her. “The magical precious memories….. life lessons , the teachings, the guidance , the warmth, the unconditional love , the dignity and the strength you have given me as your daughter cannot be replaced or matched by any other.”

Describing how deeply she misses him, Esha went on to add, “I so painfully miss you papa … your warm protective hugs that felt like the cosiest blanket , holding your soft yet strong hands which had unspoken messages & your voice calling out my name that followed with endless conversations , laughter & shayaris . Your motto ‘always be humble , be happy, healthy & strong’. ”

Esha ended her message with a promise. “I promise to continue your legacy with pride & respect. And I will try my best to spread your love to the millions who love you as I do .
I love you papa. Your darling daughter, Your Esha , your Bittu.”

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A post shared by ESHA DHARMENDRA DEOL (@imeshadeol)

Dharmendra and Hema Malini married in 1980, after reportedly converting to another faith to avoid the need for a divorce.  In a move that left everyone talking, they reportedly converted to Islam to get married, with Dharmendra adopting the name Dilawar Khan and Hema becoming Aisha Bi. They had a private Nikah ceremony in 1980, and later, to honour Hema’s roots, they even had an Iyengar-style wedding.