At the press conference announcing her Diamond Jubilee Concert celebrating 60 years in Indian cinema, veteran actress Hema Malini delivered one of the most emotional moments of the event as she reflected on her journey and spoke warmly about Dharmendra, revisiting memories that span decades of Indian cinema.
The actress shared that the idea of celebrating her 60-year journey came unexpectedly during a detailed conversation with Aniruddh-ji, who has been documenting her career through rare photographs, posters, vinyl records, and film memorabilia. Hema Malini admitted that she had never truly paused to reflect on the scale of her journey until that conversation made her revisit the past.
As she spoke about the emotional weight of looking back at her life in cinema, Hema Malini became reflective about the people who shaped her journey. Her thoughts naturally turned to Dharmendra, with whom she shares a long professional and personal association that has remained one of the most talked-about relationships in Indian cinema.
She emotionally said, “We often take people for granted, assuming they will always be there with us. But there comes a time when you have to start living without the person you love so dearly; such a moment arrived in my life, and I felt utterly helpless.”
Continuing her reflection, she spoke about how memories of Dharmendra and her colleagues from the golden era of cinema came flooding back during her discussion, adding, “I could recall every scene, every film, and the countless people I had worked with: actors, directors, photographers, cinematographers, comedians, heroes, producers, lyricists, music directors, and so many songs. It all came flooding back.”
Hema Malini also recalled how Dharmendra’s life journey has always inspired her, especially his humble beginnings and rise to stardom. She said, “Back in his youth, he had a dream of becoming an actor—a dream that eventually came true. This was during the time he was in Punjab, working on tubewells and such; he used to share all those stories with me. He would watch trains passing by and always longed to board one someday, go to Bombay, and become an actor.”
The actress also highlighted Dharmendra’s deep connection with people from all walks of the film industry, especially technicians and crew members, noting, “He was deeply passionate about filmmaking and acting, and he pursued that path with great dedication, working incredibly hard over the last six decades. He was associated with so many people—not just the lead actors but everyone involved in the process: the crew members, light boys, makeup artists, costume designers, and hairstylists.”
Hema Malini further emphasized how Dharmendra always valued relationships within the industry and remained closely connected to the people who worked behind the scenes, saying, “He was always keen on helping people, and both CINTAA and FWICE play a vital role in this. We brought these organizations together because we wanted to make a donation to them.”
She also spoke about how the idea of the Diamond Jubilee Concert itself was shaped by the desire to honour not just her journey but an entire era of cinema shared with legends like Dharmendra, recalling how the concept of revisiting old songs on stage emerged as a tribute to that golden period.
The emotional tone of her speech highlighted how deeply intertwined her memories of cinema are with the people she worked with, especially Dharmendra, whose presence in her reflections brought both nostalgia and gratitude to the forefront.
The upcoming Diamond Jubilee Concert, which will also support industry workers through CINTAA and FWICE, is now being seen as both a celebration of Hema Malini’s illustrious career and a tribute to the era of films that she and Dharmendra helped define together.