Esha Deol pens emotional note as Hema Malini accepts Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan: ‘Deeply wished he was present today’

Actor and politician Hema Malini accepted a posthumous Padma Vibhushan award for her husband, Dharmendra, who recently passed away.

On Monday evening, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Padma Awards 2026 on 131 recipients from various fields. Among them was late actor Dharmendra, who was honoured for his contribution to Indian cinema spanning over six decades. His wife, actor and politician Hema Malini, accepted his posthumous Padma Vibhushan award on his behalf. Now, their daughter Esha Deol has penned an emotional note on social media remembering her father.

Esha Deol pens emotional note as Hema Malini accepts Dharmendra's Padma Vibhushan on his behalf.

Esha Deol remembers father as Hema Malini accepts Padma Vibhushan on his behalf

Esha took to Instagram and shared photos of Hema Malini getting emotional while accepting Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan award. Alongside the pictures, she wrote, “A moment of pride. A moment of emotion. How we so deeply wished he was present today, dressed in a crisp white shirt and blue suit, looking as handsome as always, with the excitement of a young boy going to receive this prestigious award.”

She further added, “Yesterday, as my mother represented our family and received the award, and the youngest of us, Ahana, represented all six of us children, she shed tears and clapped in honour of our father — a man whom we love, cherish, miss, and proudly call our papa. Forever in our hearts.”

In one of the viral moments from the ceremony, Ahana Deol was seen getting emotional and wiping away tears while applauding as her mother accepted the honour on Dharmendra’s behalf.

Ahead of the ceremony, Hema Malini had told HT City that Esha also wanted to attend the event but could not make it. She said, “It’s an emotional moment for me. Ahana is with me, and Esha wanted to come but could not make it here. The entire family is happy. Sunny, Bobby, everyone is aware of this, and it’s a big moment for all of us.”

About Dharmendra’s death

Dharmendra, fondly known as the “He-Man of Bollywood”, remains one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated stars, with a career spanning over 60 years and more than 300 films. Just days before his 90th birthday, the veteran actor was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital after suffering respiratory complications. Rumours about his death quickly spread online, leading several fans and celebrities to post condolence messages before the family clarified the situation.

Dharmendra was later discharged from the hospital and returned home, where he eventually passed away surrounded by his loved ones. His final film, Ikkis, was released posthumously on January 1.

Before entering the film industry, Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur, with whom he had two sons, actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. After later marrying Hema Malini, the couple welcomed two daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol.