2025 ended on a deeply emotional note for Hema Malini. Her husband, legendary actor Dharmendra passed away on November 24, leaving behind a void that is difficult to fill. As 2026 begins, the actress is slowly returning to work and trying to find her footing again. In an exclusive conversation with us, Hema Malini opens up about the pain of losing a lifelong companion, the distress caused by media speculation during his illness, the much-talked-about separate prayer meetings, and plans surrounding his cherished Lonavala farmhouse.

“It was a companionship that stood the test of time,” says Hema Malini, reflecting on her relationship with Dharmendra. Speaking about how she dealt with the shock of losing him, she shares, "It was an inconsolable shock. It has been terrible because for a month we were struggling when he was not well. We were constantly trying to cope with whatever was happening in the hospital. We were all there—I, Esha, Ahana, Sunny, Bobby—all together. In the past, there had been instances when he went to the hospital and came back home fine. We thought iss baar bhi aa jayenge. He was talking to us nicely. On my birthday (October 16), he even wished me. His birthday was coming up on December 8, when he was turning 90, and we were thinking of celebrating it nicely. The preparations were on, and then suddenly, he was not there. To personally see him sink was very difficult. Nobody should have to go through this kind of situation."

Addressing the misinformation circulating online, Hema Malini urges people not to believe everything they see.

She says, “There is so much content that I am seeing where there are videos of me crying, and my eyes look sore and red. I request people not to fall for all this. After seeing such things, my fans and friends are sending me sympathetic messages, asking me to be strong. But I am a very strong person. I keep my emotions to myself. When my mother passed away 20 years ago, I wondered whether I would be able to live without her, but I did. This is what life teaches us. Time doesn’t wait for anybody. I keep telling my daughters the same thing every time they cry or get upset. We miss Dharam ji every minute. Aaj subah thepla banaya tha, which he loved having with chutney. He liked having idli sambar, and coffee in our house. So, whenever these things are made at home, we miss him deeply. It is important for us to keep him alive in our hearts and memories. We have so many videos together, woh dekhke toh rona aa jata hai.”

The actress admits that the constant media spotlight during the actor’s illness was distressing for the family. “Sunny was getting upset and angry. We all were going through an emotional time and the media was running behind our cars... harassment bahut hua,” she says.

Hema Malini fondly recalls the quiet moments she shared with Dharmendra, especially at his beloved farmhouse in Lonavala. She says, “His farm in Lonavala is extremely beautiful; it feels like a mini Punjab. He has cows there, and we get ghee from the farm. Just two months back, he brought three bottles of ghee for us, saying, ‘Yeh Esha ke liye hai, yeh Ahana ke liye hai, aur yeh tumhare liye.’ He was a loving and wonderful human being. Whenever I was not around, he would spend time in Lonavala. When I went to Mathura or Delhi for work, we used to adjust our schedules, and whenever I returned, he would come back and spend time with me at my house in Mumbai. That is how we have been happily living, along with our grandchildren. Sometimes, he would stay at Ahana’s house as well. Together, we have shared so many beautiful moments. He has been a part of our existence, and suddenly, for the past month, he is no longer there. It is very difficult to come to terms with this. Whenever I had to make a decision, I would ask him.”

As the new year unfolds, Hema says she is ready to return to her responsibilities and creative pursuits. “I am resuming my work now. I am heading to Mathura. I will be starting my performances, shows, aur jo jo kaam hai I will continue doing that because that is what would make Dharam ji happy,” she says.

There was a lot of speculation around the separate prayer meetings in memory of Dharmendra. Reports online speculated on why Hema Malini and her daughters were not present at the prayer meet organized by Sunny, Bobby and their family.

Addressing the issue directly, Hema clarifies, “Yeh humare ghar ka personal mamla hai. We talked to each other. I kept one prayer meet at my home because my group of people are different. Then, I kept one in Delhi because I am in politics, and it was important for me to keep a prayer meeting there for my friends from that field. Mathura is my constituency, and the people there are mad about him. So, I kept a prayer meeting there as well. I am happy with what I did.”

When asked whether Dharmendra’s much-loved Lonavala farmhouse could be turned into a museum for his fans, Hema Malini shares, “I think Sunny is planning to do something on those lines. He will definitely do it. Everything is happening in a nice way. So there’s no need to worry ki yeh do alag families hai, pata nahi kya hoga. Kisiko itni fikr karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Hum log ekdum achche hai.”