People gathered in large numbers in Mathura on Saturday at a prayer meet organised by Mathura MP and actress Hema Malini in memory of her late husband and legendary actor Dharmendra.
Dharmendra died on 24 November, just weeks shy of his 90th birthday, after a prolonged illness.
Addressing the gathering in an emotional speech, Hema Malini said she never imagined she would have to organise a prayer meeting for her “beloved Dharm ji”.
“It was an inconsolable shock. We shared an association of 57 years and worked together in 45 films, more than 25 of which were super hits,” she said.
Hema Malini said Dharmendra remained deeply connected to his roots despite immense stardom. “I still feel surprised and happy that my onscreen love became my life partner in real life. Since our love was true, we faced challenges together and got married,” she said, calling Dharmendra a loving husband, a devoted father to daughters Esha and Ahana, and an affectionate grandfather to his five grandchildren.
Hema Malini said her daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol, could not attend the prayer meet due to personal reasons.
The Mathura MP said Dharmendra was deeply passionate about acting and appeared in over 300 films, excelling in action, romance, comedy and intense roles, with comedy being his favourite genre. She also spoke about his lesser-known talent as an Urdu poet and said she would ensure the publication of a book of his Urdu shayari, a project he had planned.
Hema Malini also recalled that Dharmendra won the Bikaner Lok Sabha seat in 2004 but later left politics, as acting remained his true love. “He campaigned for me in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” she added.
Film director Anil Sharma, who hails from Mathura, said he was still unable to believe that Dharmendra was no more.
The prayer meet featured two documentaries—one made by Anil Sharma and another showcasing Dharmendra’s Urdu shayari—along with a bhajan evening.