Dharmendra, who died on November 24, 2025 at the age of 89 after a brief illness, had two prayer meets. The Deol brothers, Sunny and Bobby, arranged one at Mumbai's Taj Lands End hotel. Hema Malini held a separate prayer assembly at her Mumbai residence on the same day.
She later hosted a gathering at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in Janpath, Delhi, where family, colleagues, and prominent dignitaries assembled to honour the star's extraordinary life and cinematic legacy. Gaiety Galaxy owner opened up about why it was a good thing that Hema Malini did not attend the prayer meet hosted by the Deol family.
What's Happening
- Theatre owner of the iconic Gaiety Galaxy, Manoj Desai, told Vickey Lalwani he wasn't surprised that Hema Malini didn't turn up at the Deols' event.
- He said: "Before any controversy or such talk could happen, she organised a separate prayer meet for him. It was good that she didn't come. Hema and Dharmendra ji were very close, but if somebody had said something to her, the whole prayer meet would have been messed up. So it was good that she organised a prayer meet separately."
On The Big Turnout At Dharmendra's Prayer Meet Hosted By The Deols
Manoj Desai revealed there was a huge queue at the Deols' prayer meet. His car was in the 86th spot, with big cars behind him.
He shared: "They performed bhajans, and the whole world was there. Everybody turned up. I met Sunny Deol and told him many people were coming, so I would leave from the front gate. He said, 'Thanks for coming.' I stood for 45 minutes outside, waiting for my car because there was such a huge queue."
He continued: "I have gone to so many prayer meets of artistes, including Rajesh Khanna's - where I sat next to Amitabh Bachchan - and Yash Chopra's, but I had never seen one like Dharam ji's. It felt like the whole nation was there. There was no one who didn't want to come."
Dharmendra died at 89 at his Mumbai home on November 24, 2025, after being discharged from hospital on November 12. He had been admitted on October 31 due to breathlessness.
His last screen appearance will be in Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis, where he plays the father of Agastya Nanda.
