The 98th Academy Awards recently concluded, but the ceremony has disappointed many Indian cinema fans and the family of the late veteran actor Dharmendra. The veteran star, who passed away at the age of 89 in November 2025, was absent from the televised In Memoriam segment during the Sunday night broadcast. Reacting to the omission, his wife Hema Malini described the move as a shame.
In a recent conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Hema Malini expressed her hurt over the Academy’s decision to overlook the global impact of the He-Man of Indian cinema. She said, “It is a shame, of course. A shame for them to have overlooked an actor who means so many things to so many people in many parts of the world. Dharamji was known and recognised everywhere.
Despite his massive contribution to the industry over several decades, Hema pointed out that Dharmendra was often overlooked when it came to accolades. She said, “He never got too many awards during his lifetime. Why should he care about the Oscars? Both of us were happy to be loved in our country. But awards always eluded him. Even I didn’t get any award for my best performances in Lal Patthar and Meera.
The tribute segment at this year’s Oscars was longer than usual, running 15 minutes and featuring remembrances for Hollywood icons like Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Rob Reiner. While Dharmendra did not appear in the televised tribute, he was included in the official online gallery released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was listed alongside other Indian cinema greats, including Manoj Kumar, Saroja Devi, Jayasree Kabir, Kota Srinivasa Rao, and documentary filmmaker S. Krishnaswamy. Earlier, Dharmendra’s daughter, Esha Deol, also shared her thoughts on the matter. She shared that her father would likely have remained unbothered by the lack of a mention, saying he was never someone to dwell on such matters.
Dharmendra passed away on November 24, 2025, after a brief period of illness. His final cinematic appearance was in the film Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan, which was released on January 1, 2026. While the film received critical acclaim for his performance, it saw a decent run at the box office.
Also Read: “I Miss Him Every Single Minute”: Hema Malini on Tribute Given to Dharmendra at BAFTA 2026
