Mumbai: Hema Malini apparently regrets the fact that Dharmendra’s fans were unable to see him for the last time due to a private funeral held by the family after his death on November 24. The funeral took place on November 25.
Hamad Al Reyami, a filmmaker from UAE and an avowed Dharmendra fan, has claimed that he met Hema a few days after the death of the Bollywood “He-Man” and she told him how his final days were extremely cruel and painful.
Hema told Reyami that the family simply couldn’t bear to see him in that condition, the filmmaker posted on Instagram. In his note, along with a photograph with Hema, he revealed that she discussed the reasons behind the family’s decision to hold a private funeral and spoke about Dharmendra’s painful final days.
“On the third day of mourning, I visited the legendary actress Hema Malini, wife of the late superstar Dharmendra. It was the first time I had met her in person, although I had seen her from afar on many previous occasions. But this time was different… a painful, heartbreaking occasion, the kind of thing that is almost incomprehensible, no matter how hard I try,” he posted.
“I sat with her, and I could see in her features an inner turmoil she was desperately trying to hide. She said to me in a trembling voice: ‘I wish I had been at the farm on the same day I was with Dharmendra two months ago… I wish I had seen him there’. She told me how she would always say to Dharmendra, “Why don’t you publish your beautiful poems and writings?” And he would reply, “Not now… Let me finish some poems first.” But time didn’t spare him, and he passed away…,” Reyami added.
He went into further details about his conversation with Hema and said: “She said to me bitterly, ‘Now strangers will come… they will write about him, they will compose books… while his own words never saw the light of day’.”
Hema also spoke about the reason Dharmendra’s funeral was kept private.
“Then she added, with deep sadness, that she regretted his fans hadn’t had the chance to see him one last time. And she said to me in a motherly tone: ‘Dharmendra, throughout his life, never wanted anyone to see him weak or ill. He hid his pain even from his closest relatives. And after a person passes away, the decision rests with the family’,” Hamad said.
“Then she paused for a moment… wiped away a tear… and said to me clearly: ‘But what happened was a mercy… because, Hamad, you couldn’t have borne to see him in that state. His condition in his final days was cruel… painful… and even we could hardly bear to see him like that. Her words were like arrows… painful and true,” Reyami wrote.
He ended the long note by remembering Dharmendra for his charisma and his contribution to cinema, writing, “My forever hero legendary Superstar DHARMENDRA.”
Dharmendra died at the age of 89, days ahead of his 90th birthday on December 8. The actor had been ill for some time, and was hospitalised on November 10. Later, he was discharged from Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital and was recuperating at home. He was cremated in Mumbai on November 25 in the presence of his family members and colleagues from the film industry. Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Salim Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were spotted at the crematorium to pay their last respects.
