'Miss him every minute': Hema Malini remembers late husband Dharmendra
Hema Malini has shared how deeply she feels the loss of her husband, Bollywood icon Dharmendra, who passed away on November 24 after 57 years together.
She told The Indian Express, "We were together for 57 years. I can't imagine a life without him; I miss him every minute. ... I felt he would be around for one or two more years, definitely," and admitted she's been avoiding his last film, Ekkis, because it's still too overwhelming.
Dharmendra spent his final days at home in Mumbai after being hospitalized for breathing issues; he passed away peacefully from age-related illness complicated by heart issues and respiratory failure.
His funeral at Pawan Hans crematorium saw major stars like Amitabh Bachchan pay their respects.
Who was Dharmendra?
Born in Punjab in 1935, Dharmendra was one of Hindi cinema's biggest stars—famous as Bollywood's "He-Man" for his action roles and rugged charm.
Over six decades, he acted in more than 300 films and became a beloved figure across generations.
He married Hema Malini in 1980 (they have two daughters) and earlier married Prakash Kaur, with whom he had actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol among his children.