Exclusive | Hema Malini reacts to Dharmendra's Padma Vibhushan honour: He deserved it much earlier

Actor Hema Malini talks to HT City as her husband, late actor Dharmendra is conferred the Padma Vibhushan honour.

Updated on: Jan 25, 2026, 20:13:09 IST

By Rishabh Suri

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The legendary Dharmendra’s loss continues to be felt by the film industry and cinephiles- but his contribution to the arts has now been recognised by the Government of India. In an announcement today, it's been revealed that he has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan honour, posthumously.

When HT City reaches out to his wife, actor-politician Hema Malini, she can't contain her joy, “I got the news in the morning. This makes me feel so proud of him. He has done a lot of contribution to the film industry. As an actor, and as a human being too, he has been such a wonderful person. He would always help people, and that was extraordinary. He deserves this.”

But she doesn't miss adding in the same breath that the honour could have arrived a bit earlier, “He deserved it much earlier as well. Anyway, that they have given now is itself a matter of great honour.”

Dharmendra, who died in 2025, was working since 1960 as an actor, and starring in meaty roles till his last breath. Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan and released in December 2025, was his last on-screen appearance. He is often credited for having the most number of hit films in the Hindi film industry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rishabh Suri
Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More

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