Veteran actor Dharmendra, the He-Man of Bollywood, passed away on November 24. Weeks after his demise, his second wife and actress Hema Malini hosted a prayer meet in his memory in New Delhi. During the prayer meet,
Hema, joined by her two daughters Esha and Ahana Deol, spoke about Dharmendra and the king-size life that he lived.
Addressing the guests at the prayer meet ceremony, Hema said, “He was cheerful and affectionate; even while standing at the peak of fame, he never considered himself different from others, he always remained grounded. He spoke to people of every background with immense love, affection, and respect. Such a person was Dharam ji.”
“Dharmendra ji se mera association 57 saal ka hai. Jab main film industry mein aayi tab se mujhe unke saath zyada tar filmein karne ka avasar mila. Nearly 45 films—we worked together. Hum dono ko ek hit pair ke roop mein industry bhi pyaar karti thi aur janta ne bhi humein khoob pyaar diya,” she continued while reminiscing about the old days when they shared the screen together.
Speaking about Dharmendra’s career, Hema continued, “In his career, Dharmendra ji acted in more than 300 films and portrayed a wide range of roles, romantic, action hero, serious roles. But he used to love comedy the most. He was very passionate about films; he loved to be in front of the camera.”
Dharmendra would have turned 90 this year on December 8th, and speaking about how even after his demise not only the family but the entire nation celebrated him for the man he was, Hema added, “On the 8th of December, he turned 90. We celebrated his birthday, and the entire nation celebrated it as well. People were deeply emotional. Even today, people come to me and talk about him. It is rare for anyone to receive as much respect and admiration as Dharam ji has received. Sometimes I wonder how vast and extraordinary his life has been.”
She concluded her speech by saying, “His life is a celebration. He has influenced so many people in the world and inspired countless others. The entire industry is mad about him.”
Dharmendra passed away on November 24. Previously, his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol also held a prayer meeting in Mumbai, which was attended by several Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Malaika Arora, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Rekha, Jackie Shroff, and Suniel Shetty.
Dharmendra’s final on-screen appearancewill be in Ikkis, which is slated to release in theatres on December 25, 2025. Directed by Sriram Raghavan, the film also stars Agastya Nanda and Jaideep Ahlawat in pivotal roles.
