Theatre Owner Manoj Desai reflects on Hema Malini’s decision to organize separate prayer meet for Dharmendra

While Dharmendra’s first wife and sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, organised a prayer meet at Taj Lands End, his second wife, Hema Malini, held a separate prayer meeting at his Mumbai residence.

Veteran actor Dharmendra’s demise plunged the entire nation into mourning. After the legendary star passed away at the age of 89, his family performed his last rites in a private ceremony, followed by prayer meets held in his remembrance.

While Dharmendra’s first wife and sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, organised a prayer meet at Taj Lands End, his second wife, Hema Malini, held a separate prayer meeting at his Mumbai residence.

Speaking about the same, renowned theatre owner Manoj Desai recently explained the reason behind the two separate prayer meets during an interview with Vicky Lalwani.

He said, “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.”

Recalling the overwhelming turnout at the prayer meet, Desai shared, “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."

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Reflecting further on the scale of the gathering, he added, “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."

Dharmendra passed away on November 24. He had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai after facing health complications. Although he was later discharged, reports suggested that he had been placed on a ventilator due to breathing difficulties. Despite initial signs of recovery, the veteran actor breathed his last on November 24.