Actress and filmmaker Esha Deol has penned a heartfelt note as her mother Hema Malini accepted the prestigious Padma Vibhushan on behalf of her late father, veteran actor and MP Dharmendra. The emotional message comes after the President conferred the honour posthumously to Dharmendra on Republic Day 2025, with Hema stepping in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan ceremony in New Delhi.
A daughter’s bittersweet moment
In her note, Esha Deol wrote that she “deeply wished he was present today”, capturing the mix of pride and sorrow the family must have felt on the day. Describing Dharmendra as a “legend on screen and a hero off screen”, she emphasized how the Padma Vibhushan was a fitting tribute to a life dedicated to cinema, politics and public service. The message is also a public acknowledgment of Hema Malini’s grace and strength in representing her husband’s legacy at such a significant national event.
A family’s quiet tribute
Esha’s words were echoed by other family members, including granddaughter Ahana Deol, who expressed her own sense of missing Dharmendra on the day. Their tributes underline how the Padma Vibhushan honour is not just a recognition of Dharmendra’s career, but a milestone that the entire Deol clan feels deeply, even as they carry on without him.
Esha Deol’s emotional note turns a quiet ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan into a larger story of love, loss and legacy—where a daughter’s longing for her father’s presence stands alongside the nation’s gratitude for his contributions to Indian cinema.