Hema Malini recalls Dharmendra's last advice; calls Sunny, Bobby wonderful boys

Hema Malini has shared the final advice Dharmendra gave the family before his death, saying he wanted them to always stay united. She also opened up about her close bond with Sunny and Bobby Deol, dismissing rumours of a family rift.

In Short

• Hema Malini recalled Dharmendra's advice on family unity before his death
• She described close, private bond with sons Sunny and Bobby Deol
• Dharmendra died at 89, cremated with top film stars attending

Veteran actor Hema Malini has shared an emotional memory of her late husband Dharmendra, recalling the advice he gave the family before his death. In a recent interview, she spoke about his emphasis on family unity and also opened up about her relationship with Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.

Speaking to Hindi Rush, Hema said Dharmendra's final message was centred on staying connected as a family.

She said, "This is exactly what he said: 'Be together with the family, hamesha saath mein raho. Whatever work you have, family ko importance dena chahiye' (Always stay together. No matter what work you have, you should always give importance to your family)."

Reflecting on her bond with Sunny and Bobby, she described both actors fondly and said the family shares a close relationship away from the public eye.

The 77-year-old actor said, "Bobby and Sunny are wonderful boys. Sunny is very nice and Bobby is very good. We are always together. Publicity nahi karte hain hum log. Apas mein humara ek judav hai (We are always together. We don't seek publicity. We share a strong bond with each other). We are a very happy family."

Hema added that Dharmendra himself never liked discussing personal matters publicly.

Dharmendra and Hema Malini met during the late 1960s while working in films and later became one of Hindi cinema's most celebrated on-screen pairs. They appeared together in hits such as Sholay, Seeta Aur Geeta, Dream Girl and The Burning Train, and their professional partnership eventually turned into a real-life romance.

At the time, Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur and had four children, including actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. Despite initial opposition from Hema's parents, the couple married in 1980. Dharmendra remained married to his first wife as well. Hema and Dharmendra later had two daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.

The legendary actor died at the age of 89 on November 24 after recovering at home from a major health scare earlier in November 2025. He died at his Juhu house and was cremated at the Pawan Hans Crematorium with family members by his side.

Many leading film personalities, including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, attended the cremation to pay their respects.

In the weeks that followed, separate prayer meetings organised by Sunny Deol and Hema Malini led to speculation about tensions within the family. Hema later dismissed those rumours, and Esha Deol was also seen supporting Sunny during the release of his film Border 2, signalling that the family remained united.

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