Mumbai’s iconic Shanmukhananda Hall transformed into a celebration of pure Bollywood nostalgia on Friday, July 10, 2026, as the film fraternity gathered for Hema Malini – Live in Concert, celebrating the Dream Girl’s Diamond Jubilee. Marking an extraordinary 60 years in Indian cinema, the charity event also doubled as a deeply emotional posthumous tribute to Hema Malini’s late husband and co-star, Dharmendra.
Reflecting on their decades-long journey together, Hema recalled Dharam Ji’s final wish for the family. “Dharam Ji always used to tell me, ‘Never think that just because you’re doing fewer films, it’s the end of the road… Just keep going. It’s wonderful’,” she said, adding that he always encouraged her to keep dancing and creating. “He hamesha united rehne ko bolte the (he always told us to stay united). He wanted that all of us should be together.”
Visibly moved by the grand musical tributes playing around her, she concluded with a sentiment that resonated throughout the hall: “When I was going on stage to receive the Padma Vibhushan for him, I felt as if he was standing behind me and saying, ‘Go, take this honour.’ His memories will always stay with me. What do I have to say about Mr. Dharam? I will keep talking about him all night; I have a lot to say about him,” she shared.
The evening featured a 15-piece live orchestra recreating timeless melodies from Hema Malini’s long career. One of the biggest highlights came when the veteran actor herself took the stage to sing live and share behind-the-scenes anecdotes from classics like Sholay and Seeta Aur Geeta. The red carpet welcomed some of Indian cinema’s biggest names, including veteran co-stars and legendary filmmakers Jeetendra, Shatrughan Sinha, Rakesh Roshan, Ramesh Sippy, Subhash Ghai, Sanjay Khan, and Javed Akhtar, who were honoured as the “Diamonds of Indian Cinema.” Joining the celebrations were veteran actresses and close friends Padmini Kolhapure, Poonam Dhillon, and Vijayta Pandit.
The musical evening was brought to life by celebrated playback singers Anu Malik, Suresh Wadkar, Sudesh Bhosle, Anup Jalota, Kavita Krishnamurti, Shabbir Kumar, and Poornima Shreshtha. Union Cabinet Minister Kiren Rijiju attended as the chief guest alongside Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar.