# Dharmendra's Quiet Farewell: Should Bollywood's He-Man Have Received a State Funeral? Imagine the **He-Man of Bollywood**, Dharmendra, whose action-packed roles and charming smile captivated generations, slipping away without the grand honors many felt he deserved—a state funeral denied, a private cremation that left fans heartbroken and questioning.[1][5] Dharmendra passed away on November 24, 2025, in Mumbai at age 89, just weeks shy of his 90th birthday, after battling health issues that included recent hospitalization.[1][2] As a Padma Bhushan awardee (2012) and former MP from Bikaner (2004-2009), fans expected a ceremony with gun salutes and national tricolors, standard for such luminaries.[1][4][5] Yet, his funeral on November 25 at Vile Parle crematorium was swift and intimate—security barricades up within hours, media kept out, no audible guard of honor.[1] Reports point to the Deol family's deliberate choice for privacy, shielding his "cruel and painful" final days from public eyes.[2][3] Hema Malini, his wife, later shared the emotional reasoning with filmmaker Hamad Al Reyami: Dharmendra hid his weaknesses even from kin, prioritizing dignity in death. "His condition in his final days was cruel… painful… and even we could hardly bear to see him like that," she said, tears in her eyes, explaining the private rite as a mercy.[2][3] Sons Sunny and Bobby Deol oversaw the rites with family and stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan present, but no public access—leaving fans regretting they couldn't bid a final goodbye.[2] Now, columnist Shobhaa Dé stirs debate: Dharmendra *should've* gotten a state funeral, and Sunny, Bobby ought to have included Hema Malini publicly to honor their late father's memory fully.[web:0] This highlights Bollywood's complex family dynamics—two marriages, blended legacies—and fans' sense of exclusion from a icon's goodbye.[1]
*A timeless tribute to Bollywood's enduring legend.* (Unsplash free stock image)
Citations
1.https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/dharmendra-passes-away-funeral-71615
2.https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/hema-malini-regrets-fans-could-not-meet-dharmendra-a-final-time-due-to-private-funeral-sunny-deol-101764562711746.html
3.https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/hema-malini-shares-why-dharmendras-funeral-was-kept-private-79686.html
4.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNNg3sNz6Z8
5.https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/bollywood/dharmendra-funeral-why-no-state-honours-for-padma-bhushan-recipient-explained-article-153199874
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