'Whenever I feel low, I watch Chupke Chupke.'
The late Dharmendra has been conferred the prestigious Padma Vibhushan, and his wife Hema Malini couldn't be happier.
"He deserves it. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. My only regret is that he should have got it while he was still with us. But that doesn't take away from the joy of the recognition," Hema tells Subhash K Jha.
The actor re-lives Dharamji's versatility and says, "He was so versatile. He could play anything. His comic roles made you laugh. His serious roles like Satyakam and Jeevan Mrityu made you cry. I've done many many films with him. My favourites are Sharafat, Naya Zamana, Jugnu and, of course, Sholay."
Hema Malini loves his light-hearted comedy Chupke Chupke as well.
"Whenever I feel low, I watch it," she says.
The Dream Girl misses her dream man.
"Every minute, every second... I am waiting to meet him again," she says.
The Hema Malini-Dharmendra love story
The beautiful and successful Hema Malini had many suiters in her youth but it was Dharmendra who beat them to the altAr.
The couple got married in 1980 in an intimate temple wedding. Dharmendra was still married to his first wife Prakash then, but was totally smitten by his leading lady of over 35 films.
They went on to have two daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol.
Dharmendra's last days
Dharmendra passed away on November 24, 2025, just a few days short of his 90th birthday. The actor had been admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital, as he was unwell. After being treated for several days, he was taken home. Unfortunately, he passed away.
The actor leaves behind a rich career of over 60 years; his last film was Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis, which released last December.
He had made his debut at the age of 24 in the 1960 film, Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere.
Photograph curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
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