Dharmendra was critical, Sunny Deol couldn’t wrap his head around it: Ameesha Patel recalls family’s toughest time

Earlier this month, Dharmendra was admitted to a hospital after his health deteriorated. Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Govinda and Ameesha Patel had visited him and met the family briefly.

Ameesha Patel recalls last meeting with to Dharmendra. (Pic: Ameesha/Instagram)

By: Entertainment Desk

Chennai | November 25, 2025 11:42 AM IST

3 min read

Dharmendra’s death was a big jolt for the Hindi film industry, but the actor continues to live through his films and the countless memories his co-stars and colleagues cherish. Recently, Ameesha Patel — who played the role of Sakina opposite Dharmendra’s elder son Sunny Deol in Gadar — recalled her last meeting with the veteran star and shared that the Deol family needed privacy when she visited them a few days ago while Dharmendra was admitted to the hospital.

Speaking to News18, Ameesha admitted that she hasn’t reached out to the Deol family after Dharmendra’s demise as the family is already “under immense emotional pressure.” She said, “I don’t want to trouble them because they’ve enough visitors and callers and it wouldn’t be fair.” Ameesha emphasised that the Deol family “need their privacy to be able to grapple with the situation.” However, she added that she will visit them once she is back in India from New York.

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Earlier this month, Dharmendra was admitted to a hospital after his health deteriorated. Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Govinda and Ameesha Patel had visited him and met the family briefly. “It was a very tense situation and they needed to be left alone even at that time. He was in a very critical situation. Whether it was Shah Rukh, Salman or me, we were there briefly for ten minutes just to hug Sunny. It was a moment he couldn’t wrap his head around since it was about a person he loves the most,” she said.

During the interaction, Ameesha also spoke about her association with Dharmendra and how she was supposed to make her debut under Dharmendra’s production house, Vijeta Films, with a film titled Samah, which eventually didn’t get made. “I interacted a lot with Dharam ji then. I used to be in and out of Sunny Super Sound (recording studio). I would’ve lunches with him. He always thought of me as part of his family. He always used to say, ‘Ameesha mere ghar ki beti hai,’” she recalled.

Sharing her last interaction with Dharmendra, she said, “Last year when I met him at Aamir’s daughter’s reception, he reminded me of a film we were supposed to do together where he was to play my father. He had such a sharp memory. Every time he would meet me, he would hug me and say, ‘Arrey meri Sakina!’ He always made me feel as if I was part of the Deols.”

Speaking about Dharmendra’s death, she said, “The Indian film industry has not just lost an iconic actor and the most handsome man probably on this planet but also a legendary human being. Many people get name, fame, stardom and worldwide recognition but when you pass away to leave a legacy where people miss the human being that you were, that’s a bigger achievement. That’s why he has left behind a void in everyone’s heart.”

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