‘It’s good Hema Malini didn’t attend Dharmendra’s prayer meet’: Manoj Desai recalls massive turnout, hundreds queuing up to meet Deols

There was a massive turnout at Dharmendra's prayer meet as hundreds of mourners turned up to meet the Deol family. Manoj Desai on Hema Malini not turning up there.

Hema Malini organised separate prayer meets for the late legendary Dharmendra in Mumbai and Delhi. (Photo: Hema Malini, Instagram)

Veteran actor Dharamendra’s death left the entire country in mourning, creating a huge void in Hindi cinema. Recently, theatre owner Manoj Desai spoke about the veteran actor’s prayer meet and described the massive turnout and long queues outside the ceremony organised by his first wife, Prakash Kaur, and their sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. On the same day, Dharmendra’s second wife Hema Malini hosted a prayer meet in Mumbai at her home.

‘Hundreds stood in queue to meet Sunny Deol’

Speaking to Vicky Lalwani, Manoj shared that he was in the queue of hundreds at Dharmendra’s prayer meet and had to wait a long time before meeting Sunny Deol. He said, “There was a huge line of cars. My car was standing at the 86th spot. Before me and behind me, there were big cars. They performed bhajans at the prayer meet and the whole world was there. Everybody turned up at the prayer meet. I met Sunny Deol and I told him that many people are coming, so I will leave from the front gate and he told me ‘thanks for coming’. I stood for 45 minutes outside, waiting for my car because there was such a huge queue outside.”

‘Never saw a prayer meet like that of Dharmendra’

Manoj shared that he hadn’t seen a footfall so big at any other prayer meet of any artiste than what he witnessed at Dharmendra’s. He said, “I have gone to so many prayer meets of so many artistes including Rajesh Khanna‘s, in which I was sitting next to Amitabh Bachchan. I had also gone to the prayer meet of Yash Chopra, but I had never seen a prayer meet like that of Dharamji’s. It felt like the whole nation was there. There was no one who didn’t want to come.”

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Hema Malini addressing the crowd at Dharmendra’s prayer meet. (Express photo: Anil Sharma)

‘Hema Malini did a wise thing’

Manoj also commented on why Dharmendra’s second wife and veteran actor Hema Malini organized a separate prayer meet for the actor in Mumbai and didn’t attend the prayer meet that Sunny Deol and family arranged. “I was not surprised that Hemaji didn’t turn up. Before any controversy or any such talk would have happened, she organised a separate prayer meet for him. It was good that she didn’t come. Hema and Dharmendra ji were very close, but if somebody would have said something to her, the whole prayer meet would have been messed up. So, it was good that she organised a prayer meet separately.”

Hema Malini and Dharmendra's prayer meet

Hema Malini with her daughter Esha and Ahana during the Dharmendra prayer meeting in New Delhi. (Express photo: Anil Sharma. 11.12.2025)

Talking about Dharmendra and Hema’s chemistry, he said, “I think he had maximum chemistry with Hemaji. However, he had chemistry with all his heroines, including Mumtaz and Meena Kumari.”

Dharmendra had four children with his first wife, Prakash Kaur – sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, and daughters Ajeeta and Vijeta Deol. He married Hema Malini in 1980 and they have two daughters together, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Dharmendra died in Mumbai on November 24 at the age of 89.

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