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4 min readMumbaiFeb 26, 2026 09:08 AM IST
Hema Malini shared that the family is united in grief, leaning on each other as they come to terms with the loss of Dharmendra.
(Photo: Hema Malini, Instagram)
It has been three months since the world bid farewell to the veteran star Dharmendra. Recently, it was a poignant moment for both Indian cinema and Dharmendra’s countless admirers when he became the only Indian actor to be featured in BAFTA’s posthumous tribute section this year. Reacting to the honour, his wife and actress Hema Malini described the gesture as “heartening.” She also used the occasion to silence speculation suggesting a rift within the family following his passing.
‘There is no negativity at all’
In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Hema dismissed claims that she and her daughters, Esha and Ahana, were not on good terms with Dharmendra’s other family members, including his first wife Prakash Kaur, sons Sunny and Bobby, and daughters Vijeta and Ajeita. “Papa hai na, papa ke liye sab karenge. (Papa is there, and everyone will do anything for Papa.) Be it these bachchas (Esha, Ahana) or those bachchas (Sunny, Bobby) they were all very fond of Dharamji. They are very fond of each other. There is no negativity at all between the family, when Dharamji is there, where is the negativity? Dharamji was a source of love, strength and values that he has passed on to them”
Her remarks come amid ongoing public curiosity about the dynamics within the two sets of families. Recently, Esha and Ahana were spotted at a special screening of Sunny’s Border 2. Hema, however, was not present at the event. Addressing her absence, she clarified: “I was invited too but I could not make it. They were very keen that I come and watch the movie. We don’t display all these moments in public and why should we? It’s all within our family and why should we expose it? People should understand instead of talking this and that. We are all okay and we will cope with this void.”
‘Dharamji loved watching me dance’
While navigating personal grief, Hema revealed that she has been keeping herself occupied with dance performances. At the same time, she remains open to returning to cinema. “If any good film role comes my way I will do it, kuch achcha aata hi nahi. (Nothing good really comes my way). I’m not sure about OTT. Dharamji loved watching me dance and would say I should never stop because it’s important to be mentally and physically fit. Even at shootings I would take my guruji with me so Dharamji also became friends with him. He loved watched the girls dance too and appreciated that we are maintaining Indian tradition.”
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She also spoke about the profound impact his passing has had on those who worked closely with him. “All the associates, his spot boy… everyone is so sad, they keep coming to me and saying ‘Saab ki yaad aa rahi hai main saab ko chai deta tha.’ (We are missing Saab; I used to serve Saab tea.) So you can imagine how much we are missing him,”
‘I respect Prakash a lot’
In the past, Hema has spoken with dignity and respect about Prakash Kaur. In her biography, Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl, she wrote, “Though I have never spoken about Prakash, I respect her a lot. Even my daughters respect Dharamji’s family. The world wants to know about my life in detail, but that is not for others to know. It’s no one’s business.” Addressing long-standing misconceptions about her marriage, she further stated, “There are people who think I am weeping at home, pining for my man. I am not a police officer who needs to keep tabs on him. He knows his duty as a father and I have never had to remind him of it. Dharam-ji still treats me like he did in the initial days.”
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Dharmendra was already married to Prakash and a father to four children when he married Hema in 1980.
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