Veteran actor Dharmendra has been posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. His wife Hema Malini said that he deserved this honor long ago.
Veteran actor Dharmendra has been posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. His wife Hema Malini said she felt “extremely proud” and added, “He deserved this a long time ago… Now it’s a great honor for him to receive this award.”
Veteran actor Dharmendra, who died at the age of 89 on November 24, 2025, at his residence in Mumbai. He was struggling with age related problems. Now he has been posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his outstanding contribution in the field of art. His acting career spanning decades in Indian cinema has been recognized. His wife, actress and politician Hema Malini, reacting to the honor said that her late husband already deserved it.
Hema Malini’s reaction on Dharmendra receiving Padma Vibhushan posthumously
Hema said that she got the news of Dharmendra getting Padma Vibhushan posthumously this morning and she is extremely proud of him. He said that he made important contribution to the film industry. He told the media, “As an actor and also as a human being, he was a wonderful person. He was always helping people, which was extraordinary. They deserve it.”
Soon after the announcement of the Padma Awards 2026, Hema Malini on Sunday wrote an emotional message for Dharmendra on her official
list of padma awards 2026
Apart from Dharmendra, this year’s list of Padma awards includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards. On the eve of Republic Day, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released the official list of award winners for 2026.
Prominent personalities from the entertainment world to be honored this year include singer Alka Yagnik (Padma Bhushan), actors Mammootty and Piyush Pandey (Padma Bhushan posthumously), and Padma Shri awardee R. Madhavan, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Satish Shah (posthumously).