Hema Malini recalls heartbreaking final days of Dharmendra: ‘His last moments were cruel and painful’

Following the passing of cinema legend Dharmendra, his wife Hema Malini shared heartbreaking details with filmmaker Hamad Al Reyami about the actor's final days. She revealed that his illness was "cruel" and "painful," explaining that this suffering, coupled with his lifelong desire to hide weakness, led to the decision for a private funeral. She also confessed a deep regret that his personal writings and poetry remain unpublished.

TellychakkarTeam on Mon, 12/01/2025 - 18:00

MUMBAI: The film industry and millions of fans continue to mourn the loss of legendary star Dharmendra, who passed away on November 24, 2025, just before his 90th birthday.

Days after the veteran actor's demise, his wife, actress Hema Malini, opened up about the emotional turmoil and difficult decisions made during his final moments.

(ALSO READ: Hema Malini pens heart-breaking tribute to late Husband Dharmendra: ‘He Meant the World to Me’)

Filmmaker Hamad Al Reyami, who is based in the UAE, shared details of his deeply emotional conversation with Malini on the third day of mourning.

He described meeting the actress and seeing "in her features a broken inside that she's trying so hard to hide," as she recounted her immense personal loss.

Hema confided in the filmmaker about her most profound regret: that Dharmendra’s extensive collection of poems and writings never saw the light of day.

She recalled constantly encouraging him to share his work publicly, to which he would always lovingly reply, "Not now... Let me finish some poems first."

Time, however, ran out before he could complete his collection.

Reflecting on this, she expressed bitter disappointment that "Now the strangers will come... They'll write about it; they'll write books... while his own words have not seen light."

She also provided a poignant explanation for why the family chose to keep Dharmendra's funeral private, a decision that disappointed many fans who wished to pay their final respects.

She revealed that throughout his life, Dharmendra had an unwavering desire to maintain his strong image and never wanted to be viewed as weak or sick by the public.

"Dharmendra, throughout his life, never wanted anyone to see him weak or ill. He hid his pain even from his closest relatives.

And after a person passes away, the decision rests with the family," she said.

The most difficult revelation concerned the nature of the actor's final suffering.

Hema Malini described the experience of witnessing his decline as being almost unbearable for the family.

She confessed that his passing brought a sense of relief from his pain, telling Hamad with overwhelming sadness, "But what happened was a mercy... Because, Hamad, you couldn't have borne to see him in that state.

His condition in his final days was cruel... painful... and even we could hardly bear to see him like that."

Her words confirmed the immense, private struggle the family endured while managing the passing of one of cinema's most beloved figures.

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