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Dharmendra received the Padma Vibhushan honour posthumously on May 25. President Droupadi Murmu presented certificates to the recipients of the 2026 Padma Awards
at the first Civil Investiture Ceremony held in the Ganatantra Mandap of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Hema Malini attended the ceremony to receive the award. Dharmendra breathed his last a couple of days before his 90th birthday in 2025. The actor was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to Indian cinema for over four decades. The ceremony was emotional for the Deol family.
Esha Deol remembers father Dharmendra
Esha Deol, the elder daughter of Dharmendra and Hema Malini, penned an emotional note and shared pictures from the Padma Awards 2026 ceremony on Instagram. Calling it a ‘moment of pride and emotion’, the actress wrote, “How we so deeply wished he was present today dressed in a crisp white shirt and blue suit looking as handsome as always with excitement of a young boy going to receive the prestigious award.”
Esha further wrote that Hema represented the Deol family at the Padma Awards 2026 ceremony while she received the honour. The youngest of six siblings, Ahana, was present there. Esha mentioned that she ‘represented all the 6 of us his children, shed tears and clapped in honour of our father’. She concluded the note, paying a tribute to Dharmendra. Esha wrote, “A man who we love, who we cherish, who we miss & who we proudly call our papa. Forever in our hearts.”
Hema Malini receives Dharmendra's Padma Vibhushan
In an interview with Hindustan Times before the ceremony, Hema revealed that Esha wanted to attend the Padma Awards, but couldn’t make it to Delhi due to undisclosed reasons. Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, the sons of Dharmendra, were informed that she would be receiving the honour on the veteran actor’s behalf.
At the Padma Awards 2026, Hema got emotional as President Droupadi Murmu presented the certificate to her. Ahana, who was seated among the attendees, broke down remembering Dharmendra.
Who was Dharmendra
Dharmendra, born as Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol in Punjab in 1935, became one of the most admired stars of Bollywood. He acted in films including Sholay, Phool Aur Patthar, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Dharam Veer, Chupke Chupke, Seeta Aur Geeta and many others.
The actor is survived by his first wife, Prakash Kaur, and their children – Sunny, Bobby, Ajeita and Vijeta Deol and grandsons Karan, Rajveer, Aaryaman and Dharam, along with his second wife, Hema Malini and their daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.
Dharmendra breathed his last on November 24, 2025, at home following prolonged health issues. His last film was Ikkis, which released on January 1.
