Bollywood veteran Dharmendra passed away at the age of 89 in November 2025. However, when the legendary actor was not mentioned in the In Memoriam segment at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, his wife, Hema Malini, expressed her disappointment, calling it “a shame”.
Hema Malini reacts to Dharmendra not being mentioned in the In Memoriam segment of the Oscars
In an interview with Subhash K Jha for Bollywood Hungama, Hema reacted to his omission from the Oscars tribute and said, “It is a shame, of course. A shame for them to have overlooked an actor who means so many things to so many people in many parts of the world. Dharamji was known and recognised everywhere.”
She added, “He never got too many awards during his lifetime. Why should he care about the Oscars? Both of us were happy to be loved in our country. But awards always eluded him. Even I didn’t get any award for my best performances in Lal Patthar and Meera.”
Earlier, his daughter Esha Deol also reacted, saying her father would have been unbothered by the omission, as he was never someone to dwell on such matters.
The tribute segment at this year’s Academy Awards ran 15 minutes longer than in previous years, featuring special remembrances for Hollywood legends Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton and Robert Redford. Despite the extended runtime, Dharmendra’s name was absent from the televised segment. However, he was included in the official online list released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, alongside five other Indian film personalities, actors Saroja Devi, Manoj Kumar, Jayasree Kabir, Kota Srinivasa Rao, and documentary filmmaker S Krishnaswamy.
About Dharmendra’s death
The veteran actor was hospitalised in early November 2025 due to deteriorating health. Soon after, rumours about his death began circulating online. However, daughter Esha Deol and wife Hema Malini dismissed these rumours, and he was brought back to his family home in Mumbai.
On November 24, Dharmendra breathed his last, leaving the film industry in mourning. His last rites were performed in the presence of his family. He is survived by his two wives, Hema Malini and Prakash Kaur, and six children, including Bobby Deol, Sunny Deol, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.
Dharmendra’s final film, Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan, released in theatres on January 1. His performance was widely praised by critics and audiences alike. However, the film, which also featured Jaideep Ahlawat and Agastya Nanda, failed to perform well at the box office.
