Film veteran Dharmendra died on November 24, just two weeks before his 90th birthday. The senior actor was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital in late October after he complained of breathlessness. Following his death, the Deol brothers—Sunny and Bobby—along with their mother, Prakash Kaur, arranged a prayer meet at Mumbai's Taj Lands End Hotel on November 27. Hema Malini held a puja and bhajan at her home on the same day in Mumbai. Hema Malini and her daughters, Esha and Ahana, were MIA from the Deols' prayer meet.
Later, Hema Malini hosted another prayer meet in New Delhi on December 11. Speculation went rife, highlighting the interpersonal dynamics of Dharmendra's two families following the separate prayer meets.
Hema Malini, during a recent interview, addressed the issue directly and clarified her stance.
"Yeh humare ghar ka personal mamla hai. We talked to each other. I kept one prayer meet at my home because my group of people are different. Then, I kept one in Delhi because I am in politics, and it was important for me to keep a prayer meeting there for my friends from that field. Mathura is my constituency, and the people there are mad about him. So, I kept a prayer meeting there as well. I am happy with what I did," Hema Malini told The Times of India.
At the Deols' prayer meet, Salman Khan, Rekha, Vidya Balan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and many other celebrities marked their presence. The Delhi prayer meet, held at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, was attended by Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Kiren Rijiju, Om Birla, Kangana Ranaut, Ranjit, Anil Sharma, and other politicians and film personalities.
During the same interview, Hema Malini recalled how they were hoping that Dharamji would be fine and celebrate his 90th birthday with family.
"It was an inconsolable shock. It has been terrible because for a month we were struggling when he was not well. We were constantly trying to cope with whatever was happening in the hospital. We were all there-I, Esha, Ahana, Sunny, Bobby-all together. In the past, there had been instances when he went to the hospital and came back home fine. We thought iss baar bhi aa jayenge," Hema Malini said.
"He was talking to us nicely. On my birthday (October 16), he even wished me. His birthday was coming up on December 8, when he was turning 90, and we were thinking of celebrating it nicely. The preparations were on, and then suddenly, he was not there. To personally see him sink was very difficult. Nobody should have to go through this kind of situation," an emotional Hema Malini shared.
Tiding over the personal loss, Hema Malini returns to work with a renewed vow.
"I am resuming my work now. I am heading to Mathura. I will be starting my performances, shows, aur jo jo kaam hai I will continue doing that because that is what would make Dharamji happy," she said.
