‘Felt Dharmendra with me, asking me to collect Padma Vibhushan’: Hema Malini | Bollywood News
4 min readMumbaiJul 9, 2026 01:48 PM IST The passing of veteran actor Dharmendra last year left the Hindi film industry and generations of admirers in mourning. Remembered as one of Indian cinema’s most enduring stars, his absence continues to be deeply felt. Recently, his wife, veteran actor Hema Malini, reflected on receiving the Padma Vibhushan on his behalf and recalled feeling his presence during the emotional moment. ‘He wanted that all of us should be together’ Speaking to HT City, Hema said, “It was an emotional, yet exciting moment for me. His seven decades of work was recognised. That I was able to go on stage and receive it, was the biggest moment. As I was going towards Rashtrapati ji to receive it, I could feel him behind me, making me walk up, saying ‘go ahead to collect it’.” She also spoke about how Dharmendra always wanted the family to remain close-knit. Reflecting on his wishes after his passing, Hema said, “He would say ‘I am fond of my family’, hamesha united rehne ko …









