‘His final days were too painful’: Hema Malini reveals why Dharmendra was given a private funeral

PTC Web Desk:  Veteran actor Dharmendra’s family chose to bid him farewell in a private ceremony, an emotional decision that, according to Hema Malini, was taken to protect loved ones from witnessing the legendary star’s unbearable final days.

In a recent interaction with UAE-based filmmaker Hamad Al Reyami, Hema Malini opened up about the deeply personal reasons behind the quiet funeral. Al Reyami shared the details of their meeting on Instagram, recalling his visit to the actress on the third day of mourning. He wrote that although he had seen her from a distance before, this was the first time he met her under such heartbreaking circumstances.

He described seeing a storm of grief behind Hema Malini’s composed exterior. She reportedly told him, in a trembling voice, that she wished she had been at the family’s farmhouse the day Dharmendra was last there two months ago.

Hema Malini also shared that Dharmendra, despite battling prolonged illness, never wanted anyone, including the family, to witness his suffering. She remembered how the actor would often brush aside her suggestions to publish his poetry, saying he needed more time to finish his verses.

According to Al Reyami, Hema wiped her tears as she explained that keeping the funeral private was an act of compassion. “His final days were extremely cruel and painful… even we struggled to see him like that,” she told him, adding that outsiders would not have been able to bear the sight of his deteriorating condition.

Dharmendra died on November 24 at the age of 89, less than two weeks before his 90th birthday. He had been unwell for a considerable period and was admitted to the hospital on November 10.

The private farewell, Hema Malini believes, honoured the actor's lifelong desire to shield others from his vulnerabilities.