The prestigious Padma Awards 2026 ceremony turned out to be an incredibly emotional and historic milestone for the Deol family as veteran actress and BJP Member of Parliament Hema Malini accepted the posthumous Padma Vibhushan on behalf of her late husband, the legendary screen icon Dharmendra. The solemn event, which took place on Monday, May 25, 2026, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, saw President Droupadi Murmu present India’s second-highest civilian honor to recognize the veteran actor’s exceptional and distinguished six-decade-long service to Indian cinema. Dharmendra tragically passed away at the age of 89 in November 2025 due to age-related health complications, making this national acknowledgment a deeply bittersweet moment for his family and millions of devoted fans worldwide. For the grand occasion, the seventy-seven-year-old actress personified timeless elegance, wearing a beautiful blush pink pastel saree adorned with delicate embroidery, subtle floral motifs, and a shimmery silver border, which she perfectly complemented with a sparkling diamond choker necklace and her signature bindi.
Following the conclusion of the formal Civil Investiture Ceremony, an overwhelmed Hema Malini took to her official social media handles to share her innermost reflections, describing the experience as an absolute euphoric moment. In a deeply personal and touching note, the actress revealed that as she walked up toward the grand dais where the magnificent award awaited her husband, she could distinctly feel Dharmendra’s incredibly warm presence beside her, almost as if he were holding her hand and gently guiding her path forward. She confessed that sitting in the audience as a representative for her late partner stirred an intense wave of pride inside her heart, which instantly brought back a flood of cherished memories from the decades they spent together. Hema Malini recalled their early years sharing screen space as prominent co-stars in legendary Bollywood blockbusters like Sholay, Chupke Chupke, and Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke, before eventually transitioning into lifelong companions off-screen, adding that tears inevitably welled up in her eyes as these deep thoughts took over her mind during the national broadcast.
The profound emotional weight of the ceremony was also heavily visible among the younger family members seated in the audience layout at the Ganatantra Mandap. The couple’s youngest daughter, Ahana Deol, who attended the prestigious function alongside her husband Vaibhav Vohra to represent all six of Dharmendra’s children, completely broke down into tears and clapped proudly the exact moment her father’s iconic name was formally announced for the posthumous recognition. Expressing her shared emotions from afar, elder sister Esha Deol penned a heartwarming tribute online, stating that the entire family deeply wished their father could have been physically present at the venue, looking exceptionally handsome in a crisp white shirt and a blue suit while carrying the pure excitement of a young boy going to receive a major prize. Hema Malini beautifully concluded her emotional public statement by describing Dharmendra not just as a cinematic giant but as a profoundly gentle, giving, and generous human being who exemplified the noble qualities of a caring husband, an affectionate father, a trusted philosopher, and a grandfather, thanking the Almighty for blessing her with such a wonderful soulmate whose enduring legacy she will protect until the end of her life.
To know such latest updates tuned tellyboosters.com Thank you
