Daughter Ahana cried when Hema Malini accepted late Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan.
Hema Malini’s daughter Ahana Deol cried as she accepted the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for late actor Dharmendra. The ceremony was held on 25 May in New Delhi.
Padma Awards 2026 turned out to be an emotional moment for the Deol family as Ahana Deol cried after watching her mother Hema Malini accept the Padma Vibhushan posthumously on behalf of late screen legend Dharmendra.
An emotional moment unfolded during the Padma Awards ceremony held in New Delhi on May 25, when Hema Malini received the country’s second highest civilian honor on behalf of her late husband Dharmendra for his extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema.
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In videos and pictures from the event, younger daughter Ahana was seen emotional during the ceremony as her mother stood on the stage to receive the honour.
Here is a screenshot of the function:
Hema Malini expressed happiness
In an earlier interview with India Today, Hema Malini described the honor as both joyous and heartbreaking for the family.
He added, “The whole family is very thrilled and very happy. Of course, we wished he would have got it sooner when he was there to receive it, but still, we are happy. He deserved it.”
He said that this honor reflects the immense love and respect Dharmendra is receiving from both the film industry and the audience. The 77-year-old told Us, “The fans, the industry – everyone has only good things to say about him now, and it fills our hearts with so much pride. Everyone wanted this for him.”
Watch live updates on Padma Awards here.
About Padma Vibhushan Recipients of 2026
This year, Padma Vibhushan has been awarded to five persons.
Along with Dharmendra, other recipients include former Supreme Court judge KT Thomas for public affairs, acclaimed classical violinist N Rajam for art, educationist and academic P Narayanan for literature and education and veteran political leader VS Achuthanandan, who has also been honored posthumously.
Many prominent names in the entertainment industry were also recognized at the Padma Awards 2026. Malayalam superstar Mammootty and singer Alka Yagnik were awarded the Padma Bhushan for their contributions to cinema and music respectively.
Meanwhile, actors Prosenjit Chatterjee, R Madhavan and late actor Satish Shah were awarded the Padma Shri for their contribution to Indian cinema. Actor Anil Rastogi was also among those who received the Padma Shri award this year.
The ceremony was held on 28 May at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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