Esha Deol pens emotional note as Hema Malini accepts Dharmendra’s posthumous Padma Vibhushan award

Esha Deol shared an emotional tribute to her late father Dharmendra after he was posthumously honoured with the Padma Vibhushan at the Padma Awards 2026 ceremony.

The award was conferred by Droupadi Murmu and accepted on Dharmendra’s behalf by his wife Hema Malini, who was seen getting emotional during the ceremony.

Sharing photographs from the event, Esha wrote that the family had deeply wished Dharmendra could have been present himself, recalling how he would have attended with the excitement of “a young boy” receiving the prestigious honour.

She added that Hema represented the family while younger daughter Ahana Deol represented all six children, describing Dharmendra as a father they “love, cherish, miss, and proudly call papa.”

A widely shared moment from the ceremony showed Ahana becoming emotional and wiping away tears while applauding as Hema Malini accepted the honour.

Dharmendra, one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated stars with a career spanning more than six decades and over 300 films, was remembered by his family as they accepted one of India’s highest civilian honours in his name.