Hema Malini reacts to Dharmendra’s posthumous Padma Vibhushan: ‘He would’ve been happy if…’ |

Legendary actor Dharmendra passed away last year on November 24. While fans continue to mourn his demise, everyone is happy that the actor wil be honoured with Padma Vibhushan (Posthumous) for this exceptional contribution to the field of art. The list of those to be honoured was announced as part of the official Padma Awards list for 2026, unveiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the eve of Republic Day.Hema Malini has now reacted to the veteran actor being awarded with a Padma Vibhushan. She told ANI, “It makes us very happy, the entire country is happy. Had it come earlier, Dharmendra ji would have been extremely happy, and seeing him, his fans would have been even happier.” In a separate statement, Hema Malini said the honour had been a long time coming and reflected the magnitude of Dharmendra’s contribution to Indian cinema. Expressing her pride, she said, “So so proud that the government has recognised Dharam ji’s immense contribution to the film industry by bestowing on him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award,” while also thanking the Centre for acknowledging his legacy.The Padma Awards rank among India’s highest civilian honours and are presented in three categories, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. These awards are conferred by the President of India during formal ceremonies held each year, mostly in March or April. Dharmendra, affectionately known as Hindi cinema’s original ‘He-Man’, passed away at the age of 89. Over a career that spanned more than six decades, he carved out an extraordinary place for himself with his striking screen presence, warm smile and remarkable versatility, earning his status as one of Indian cinema’s most iconic stars.His illustrious filmography includes landmark titles such as ‘Sholay’, ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke’, ‘Ayee Milan Ki Bela’ and ‘Anupama’, among many others. The actor was last seen in ‘Ikkis’ which released post his death, in January this year. It starred Agastya Nanda, Jaideep Ahlawat as well and was directed by Sriram Raghavan.