Three days after the death of Dharmendra, his wife and actor Hema Malini shared an emotional tribute to her late husband.
Dharmendra, one of the definitive male leads of Indian cinema, the Veeru of Sholay and the ‘He-Man’ of Bollywood, passed away in Mumbai on Monday, November 24. He was 89. The actor was cremated in Mumbai in the presence of his family and close industry colleagues. His final screen role will be in Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis, a war drama where he plays the father of Arun Khetarpal, a braveheart who died in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War.
Sharing a heartfelt note on X, Malini wrote, “He was many things to me. Loving husband, adoring father of our two girls, Esha & Ahaana, friend, philosopher, guide, poet, my ‘go to’ person in all times of need – in fact, he was everything to me! And always has been through good times and bad."
She added that Dharmendra formed deep bonds with everyone around, "He endeared himself to all my family members with his easy, friendly ways, always showing affection and interest in all of them.”
Malini also said that as a public personality, his talent, his humility in spite of his popularity, and his universal appeal "set him apart as a unique icon unequalled among all the legends." "His enduring fame and achievements in the film industry will last forever. My personal loss is indescribable and the vacuum created is something that will last through the rest of my life. After years of togetherness, I am left with myriad memories to relive the many special moments," she concluded.
Dharmendra became the founding patriarch of an illustrious film family. He was married to Prakash Kaur in 1954, with whom he had four children, including actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. In 1980, he married his frequent co-star Hema Malini, with whom he had two daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol. His newphew, Abhay Deol, and grandsons Karan and Rajveer are also actors.
A prayer meet for the late actor is scheduled to take place in Mumbai today from 5 pm to 7:30 pm, allowing family, friends, and colleagues to come together and celebrate his life and legacy.
