'He hid his pain': Hema on Dharmendra's 'cruel' final days
Filmmaker Hamad Al Reyami recently met veteran actor Hema Malini after the demise of her husband, superstar Dharmendra. The meeting was held on the third day of mourning, and Al Reyami took to Instagram to share a note about their conversation. He revealed that Malini spoke about the reasons behind their decision to have a private funeral for Dharmendra and discussed his painful final days.
Malini expressed regret over fans not meeting Dharmendra
Al Reyami wrote, "Then she added, with deep sadness, that she regretted his fans hadn't had the chance to see him one last time." "And she said to me in a motherly tone: 'Dharmendra, throughout his life, never wanted anyone to see him weak or ill. He hid his pain even from his closest relatives. And after a person passes away, the decision rests with the family.'"
Malini's sorrow over Dharmendra's unfulfilled dreams
Al Reyami further revealed that Malini spoke about Dharmendra's unfulfilled dreams. She told him how she would always encourage him to publish his beautiful poems and writings, but he would reply, "Not now... Let me finish some poems first." "But time didn't spare him, and he passed away..."
Malini's anguish over Dharmendra's condition
Al Reyami also shared that Malini expressed her anguish over Dharmendra's final days. She said, "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." "Her words were like arrows... painful and true."
Dharmendra's demise and funeral
Dharmendra passed away at the age of 89 on November 24, just days before his 90th birthday on December 8. He had been unwell for a while and was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital on November 10. After being discharged from the hospital, he was recuperating at home. His last rites were performed in Mumbai with family members and industry colleagues in attendance.