Dharmendra To Be Conferred With Padma Vibhushan, Late Actor Honoured By India’s Second Highest Civilian Award Post Humously

This year, the government will confer the Padma Vibhushan, the highest civilian honour, on five individuals on Republic Day 2026. Late actor Dharmendra Singh Deol will receive the award posthumously for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. The other recipients are former Supreme Court judge K T Thomas for Public Affairs, renowned classical violinist N Rajam for Art, educationist and academic P Narayanan for Literature and Education, and senior political leader V S Achuthanandhan for Public Affairs, who will also be honoured posthumously.

For 2026, the President has approved the conferment of 131 Padma Awards, including two duo cases, which count as one award each. The list includes five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards. Women account for 19 of the awardees. The honours also recognise six individuals from the categories of Foreign Nationals, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs). In addition, the government will present 16 awards posthumously.

Dharmendra's death news

Dharmendra passed away on November 24 last year at his home in Mumbai. He was 89. Earlier that month, doctors discharged him from Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after a health scare, and he was recovering at home. His family cremated him in Mumbai on November 25.

He is survived by his two wives. He married Prakash Kaur in 1954 and had four children with her, including Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. In 1980, he married Hema Malini, and they have two daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol.