'What happened was a mercy': Hema Malini opens up about Dharmendra's final days

Hema Malini, the wife of legendary actor Dharmendra, has spoken about the reasons behind the family's decision to hold a private funeral for the cine icon, revealing that his final days were extremely cruel and painful. In a heartfelt conversation with filmmaker Hamad Al Reyami, Hema Malini shared that Dharmendra had always wanted to shield his loved ones from his suffering and had hidden his pain even from his closest relatives.

Hamad Al Reyami, who hails from UAE, took to Instagram to share a note about his recent meeting with actor Hema Malini. He posted an image with Hema Malini with a caption in Arabic which loosely translates to, “On the third day of mourning, I visited the legendary actress Hema Malini, wife of the late superstar Dharmendra. It was the first time I had met her in person, although I had seen her from afar on many previous occasions. But this time was different… a painful, heartbreaking occasion, the kind of thing that is almost incomprehensible, no matter how hard I try.”

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A post shared by Hamad Al Reyami (CINEMA 🎬)UAE (@hamadreyami)

The filmmaker wrote, “I sat with her, and I could see in her features an inner turmoil she was desperately trying to hide. She said to me in a trembling voice: ‘I wish I had been at the farm on the same day I was with Dharmendra two months ago… I wish I had seen him there’.

Hema Malini recalled how she would often encourage Dharmendra to publish his poems and writings, but he would reply, "Not now... Let me finish some poems first." She shared that Dharmendra had never wanted anyone to see him weak or ill.

Recalling the conversation, Hamad added, “Wiping a tear she said to me clearly: ‘But what happened was a mercy… because, Hamad, you couldn’t have borne to see him in that state." "His condition in his final days was cruel... painful... and even we could hardly bear to see him like that," she said.

The private funeral was a difficult decision for the family, but Hema Malini believes it was a mercy, as they couldn't have borne to see him in that state.

Dharmendra died at the age of 89 on November 24, days ahead of his 90th birthday on December 8. The actor had been ill for some time, and was hospitalised on November 10.