So So Proud: Hema Malini Shares Joy As Dharmendra Receives Padma Vibhushan

Bollywood’s He-Man, Dharmendra, has been honoured with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the Padma Awards 2026 winners on Sunday. The honour recognises his outstanding contribution to Hindi cinema. His wife, veteran actress Hema Malini, expressed an emotional response to the recognition given to Dharamji.

Soon after the announcement, she took to her X handle and tweeted, "So so proud that the govt has recognised Dharam ji’s immense contribution to the film industry by bestowing on him the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award."

She described the honour as a moment of great pride and applauded his long and remarkable journey in Indian cinema. Along with her message, she shared a joyful throwback photograph of the late legend.

The Padma Awards are among the country’s highest civilian honours. The government presents them in three categories—Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The President of India confers these awards at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, usually around March or April each year.

Dharmendra’s career reflects lasting talent and deep commitment. He never limited himself to one genre and built wide popularity by performing equally well in romance, action, comedy and social drama. This versatility made him one of the most commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema. His last film, Ikkis, was released on December 25. The legend left his legacy behind in November 2025.