Veteran actor Dharmendra died at the age of 89 on November 24. The family is still recovering from the loss. In a recent podcast with Hindi Rush, Hema Malini spoke about her late husband’s final message to the family before his death and reflected on the bond she shares with Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.
Dharmendra’s last message to family before death
When asked if she could recall Dharmendra’s last message before he passed away, the actor and politician said, “This is exactly what he said: ‘Be together with the family, hamesha saath mein raho. Whatever work you have, family ko importance dena chahiye’ (Always stay together. No matter what work you have, you should always give importance to your family).”
Speaking about Sunny and Bobby, she added, “Bobby and Sunny are wonderful boys. Sunny is very nice and Bobby is very good. We are always together. Publicity nahi karte hain hum log. Apas mein humara ek judav hai (We are always together. We don’t seek publicity. We share a strong bond with each other). We are a very happy family.” She further admitted that even Dharmendra never liked bringing personal matters into the public eye.
About Hema Malini and Dharmendra
Dharmendra and Hema Malini first met while working together in the late 1960s and went on to star in several successful films, including Sholay, Seeta Aur Geeta, Dream Girl and The Burning Train. Their on-screen chemistry soon blossomed into a real-life romance. At the time, the late actor was already married to Prakash Kaur, with whom he had four children, including actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.
Since Dharmendra was already married, Hema’s parents were initially opposed to the relationship. However, the couple went on to marry in 1980, although the late actor never divorced his first wife. Hema and Dharmendra have two daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.
About Dharmendra’s death
Dharmendra had been recovering at home after surviving a major health scare in early November 2025. However, he died on the morning of November 24 at his home in Juhu. He was later cremated at the Pawan Hans Crematorium in the presence of his family.
Among those who attended the cremation to pay their last respects were Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. Later, Sunny Deol and Hema Malini held two separate prayer meetings for the late actor, sparking rumours of a rift between the two families. However, Hema Malini dismissed the speculation, and Esha Deol was also seen supporting Sunny during the release of his film Border 2.