On Monday, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Padma Awards 2026 on 131 recipients, including late actor Dharmendra, who was honoured for his six-decade-long contribution to Indian cinema. His wife, Hema Malini, accepted his posthumous Padma Vibhushan award. Their daughter Esha Deol penned an emotional note remembering her father.
Esha shared photos of Hema getting emotional while accepting the award and wrote, 'A moment of pride. A moment of emotion. How we so deeply wished he was present today...'
She 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.'
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. He was admitted to the hospital just days before his 90th birthday and eventually passed away surrounded by his loved ones.
