Dharmendra’s absence from Oscars’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment draws backlash
The absence of veteran actor Dharmendra from the ‘In Memoriam’ segment at the 98th Academy Awards sparked criticism from several Indian celebrities, including his wife and actress Hema Malini and veteran star Shatrughan Sinha. On Monday, during the ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the Academy paid tribute to several global film personalities who passed away over the past year, including Robert Redford, Rob Reiner and Diane Keaton, among others. However, the segment didn’t mention the legendary Bollywood star, who has had a career spanning more than six decades.
Reacting to the omission, Hema Malini told ‘Bollywood Hungama’, “It is a shame, of course. A shame for them to have overlooked an actor who means so many things to so many people in many parts of the world. Dharam ji was known and recognised everywhere.”
She further added, “He never got too many awards during his lifetime. Why should he care about the Oscars? Both of us were always happy to be loved in our country. But awards always eluded him. Even I didn’t receive awards for some of my best performances in ‘Lal Patthar’ and ‘Meera’.”
Veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, who worked with Dharmendra in films such as ‘Blackmail’ and ‘Dost’, told ‘Variety’, “It is a matter of shame for them if they don’t honour Dilip Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and now Dharmendra. Why does it matter to us? They are entrenched in our hearts forever.”
Meanwhile, Dharmendra’s daughter Esha Deol shared that the omission wouldn’t have affected her father. “I don’t think it would ever make a difference to Papa. His heart has always been far too big to worry about such things. For him, life was never about recognition or status - it was about love, kindness and the place he held in people’s hearts,” she said.
This isn’t the first time a legendary Indian artiste has been left out of the Oscars’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment. In the past, the Academy faced criticism for excluding Dilip Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.
