Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan leaves Hema Malini and Ahana Deol in tears at Delhi ceremony; List here

Hema Malini became emotional while receiving late Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan at the Padma Awards 2026 ceremony in Delhi, as daughter Ahana Deol stood beside her during the heartfelt tribute.

Post Published By: Donika Singh
Updated : 25 May 2026, 6:15 PM IST

New Delhi: Veteran actor Hema Malini attended the Padma Awards 2026 ceremony in New Delhi to receive the Padma Vibhushan on behalf of her late husband, legendary actor Dharmendra. The honour was conferred posthumously in recognition of his remarkable contribution to Indian cinema and cultural legacy.

Hema Malini and Ahana Deol Attend Ceremony

Hema Malini arrived at the event wearing a light pink saree with delicate detailing and was accompanied by her daughter Ahana Deol. As Dharmendra’s name was announced during the ceremony, Hema Malini walked towards the stage with folded hands and visible emotion. President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to her during the formal event.

Emotional Moments on Stage

The emotional atmosphere deeply affected both Hema Malini and Ahana Deol. Eyewitnesses at the ceremony noted that the actress had tears in her eyes while accepting the honour. Ahana was also seen becoming emotional as the family remembered Dharmendra on the significant occasion.

Family Reacts to the Honour

Ahead of the ceremony, Hema Malini had shared that the recognition was a proud yet emotional moment for the entire family. She mentioned that daughters Esha and Ahana, along with Sunny and Bobby Deol, were all aware of the honour and deeply moved by the recognition given to Dharmendra after his passing.

Significance of the Padma Vibhushan

The Padma Vibhushan is India’s second-highest civilian award after the Bharat Ratna. It is presented for exceptional service in various fields including cinema, arts, literature, science and public affairs. Dharmendra’s inclusion among this year’s recipients was widely celebrated within the film industry.

Dharmendra’s Lasting Legacy

Dharmendra passed away in November 2025 at the age of 89, leaving behind an extraordinary cinematic legacy spanning several decades. Known as the “He-Man” of Bollywood, he remained one of Indian cinema’s most admired stars. Following his death, tributes poured in from across the country, reflecting his immense influence on generations of film lovers and fellow actors alike throughout his remarkable career.

Padma Vibhushan Winners 2026

SN Name Field State / Country
1 Dharmendra (Posthumous) Art Maharashtra
2 K T Thomas Public Affairs Kerala
3 N Rajam Art Uttar Pradesh
4 P Narayanan Literature and Education Kerala
5 V S Achuthanandan (Posthumous) Public Affairs Kerala

Padma Bhushan Winners 2026

SN Name Field State / Country
1 Alka Yagnik Art Maharashtra
2 Bhagat Singh Koshyari Public Affairs Uttarakhand
3 K. R. Palaniswamy Medicine Tamil Nadu
4 Mammootty Art Kerala
5 Nori Dattatreyudu Medicine United States of America
6 Piyush Pandey (Posthumous) Art Maharashtra
7 S. K. M. Maeilanandhan Social Work Tamil Nadu
8 Shatavadhani R. Ganesh Art Karnataka
9 Shibu Soren (Posthumous) Public Affairs Jharkhand
10 Uday Kotak Trade & Industry Maharashtra
11 V. K. Malhotra (Posthumous) Public Affairs Delhi
12 Vellappally Natesan Public Affairs Kerala
13 Vijay Amritraj Sports United States of America

Padma Shri Winners 2026 (Part 1)

SN Name Field State / Country
1 A E Muthunayagam Science and Engineering Kerala
2 Anil Kumar Rastogi Art Uttar Pradesh
3 Anke Gowda M. Social Work Karnataka
4 Armida Fernandez Medicine Maharashtra
5 Arvind Vaidya Art Gujarat
6 Ashok Khade Trade and Industry Maharashtra
7 Ashok Kumar Singh Science and Engineering Uttar Pradesh
8 Asok Kumar Haldar Literature and Education West Bengal
9 Baldev Singh Sports Punjab
10 Bhagwandas Raikwar Sports Madhya Pradesh
11 Bharat Singh Bharti Art Bihar
12 Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda Art Maharashtra
13 Bishwa Bandhu (Posthumous) Art Bihar
14 Brij Lal Bhat Social Work Jammu and Kashmir
15 Buddha Rashmi Mani Others – Archaeology Uttar Pradesh
16 Budhri Tati Social Work Chhattisgarh
17 Chandramouli Gaddamanugu Science and Engineering Telangana
18 Charan Hembram Literature and Education Odisha
19 Chiranji Lal Yadav Art Uttar Pradesh
20 Deepika Reddy Art Telangana
21 Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya Art Gujarat
22 Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad Art Andhra Pradesh
23 Gafruddin Mewati Jogi Art Rajasthan
24 Gambir Singh Yonzone Literature and Education West Bengal
25 Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (Posthumous) Art Andhra Pradesh
26 Gayatri Balasubramanian & Ranjani Balasubramanian (Duo) Art Tamil Nadu
27 Gopal Ji Trivedi Science and Engineering Bihar
28 Guduru Venkat Rao Medicine Telangana
29 H V Hande Medicine Tamil Nadu
30 Hally War Social Work Meghalaya
31 Hari Madhab Mukhopadhyay (Posthumous) Art West Bengal
32 Haricharan Saikia Art Assam
33 Harmanpreet Kaur Sports Punjab
34 Inderjit Singh Sidhu Social Work Chandigarh
35 Janardan Bapurao Bothe Social Work Maharashtra
36 Jogesh Deuri Others – Agriculture Assam
37 Juzer Vasi Science and Engineering Maharashtra
38 Jyotish Debnath Art West Bengal
39 K Pajanivel Sports Puducherry
40 K Ramasamy Science and Engineering Tamil Nadu
41 K Vijay Kumar Civil Service Tamil Nadu
42 Kabindra Purkayastha (Posthumous) Public Affairs Assam
43 Kailash Chandra Pant Literature and Education Madhya Pradesh
44 Kalamandalam Vimala Menon Art Kerala
45 Kewal Krishan Thakral Medicine Uttar Pradesh
46 Khem Raj Sundriyal Art Haryana
47 Kollakal Devaki Amma Social Work Kerala
48 Krishnamurty Balasubramanian Science and Engineering Telangana
49 Kumar Bose Art West Bengal
50 Kumarasamy Thangaraj Science and Engineering Telangana

Location :  New Delhi

Published :  25 May 2026, 5:44 PM IST