Why Hema & Her Daughters Held Their Own Prayer Meeting

Eyebrows have been raised over the separate memorial meetings for Dharmendra — one hosted by the Deols and the other by Hema Malini and her daughters — both held on the same evening. According to cynics, this split memorial reflects the way the two branches of the family may function going forward.

However, reliable sources from both sides insist that the dual memorial was a mutual and practical decision. “Neither the Deols nor Hemaji wanted the evening to turn into a tamasha, with the paps trying to capture all the family members — both wives and all the siblings — in one frame. It was mutually agreed that two separate prayer meetings would help maintain dignity and privacy,” says a family source.

Shabana Azmi, who worked with Dharmendra in one of his last films, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, believes the family must be given space. “That is the least we can do. Dharmendraji was no ordinary celebrity. The world loves him. We all adore him. If for no other reason, we must give the family the privacy they need to process the tragedy and move ahead as one.”