Late actor Dharmendra’s wife Hema Malini is currently in New Delhi and will be receiving the Padma Vibhushan Award which is being given posthumously to him.
After Dharmendra’s death in November last year, it was announced that he will be posthumously honored with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award. The ceremony will be held today and the award will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu.
The award ceremony will also be attended by Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, among others.
While talking to Hindustan Times, Malini said, “It’s an emotional moment for me. Ahana (daughter) is with me, Esha wanted to come but could not make it here. The entire family is happy. Sunny, Bobby, everyone is aware of this and it’s a big moment for all of us.”
Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty is also set to receive the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian cinema. He was awarded with the Padma Shri in 1998. Actor R Madhavan, however, will accept his Padma Shri honour at a later event.
Late actor Satish Shah will also be posthumously honoured with the Padma Shri. Singer Alka Yagnik will also be awarded a Padma Bhushan for her work in the Indian music industry.
Other celebs who will be honoured with the Padma award are Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anil Kumar Rastogi, and Arvind Vaidya. On May 24, news agency PTI had confirmed that President Droupadi Murmu will present 66 Padma awards at the first civil investiture ceremony for 2026, to be held in the Ganatantra Mandap of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.
Dharmendra passed away in Mumbai on November 24, 2025. He was 89.