Hema Malini Opens Up About Life Without Dharmendra After 57 Years
Veteran actress and parliamentarian Hema Malini has shared her profound grief following the passing of her husband, legendary actor Dharmendra. The couple spent fifty-seven remarkable years together, building a life filled with love and shared memories.
In a recent emotional conversation, the seventy-seven-year-old actress revealed the depth of her sorrow. "I was very deeply in sorrow, and that feeling still remains with me," Hema Malini confessed. "I am trying to move forward because the pain sometimes feels overwhelming. People tell me I am strong, and I believe I am, but there are moments when continuing feels like the only option."
"I Miss Him Every Minute"
The actress expressed how unimaginable life feels without her longtime partner. "We shared fifty-seven beautiful years. I simply cannot picture my existence without him," she said. "His absence is felt every single minute of the day."
Hema Malini recalled their daily interactions with poignant clarity. "He would always check on me, asking where I was and when I would return. He would say he was coming back from Lonavala to be with me and our family. Now, I feel this deep sadness without him. I keep wondering when I will see him again."
Addressing Family Rumors
The veteran star also addressed circulating rumors about tensions within the Deol family following separate prayer meetings. She firmly dismissed these speculations.
"Our relationship has always been warm and cordial, and it remains exactly that today," Hema Malini stated. "I don't understand why people imagine problems where none exist. Perhaps they simply want gossip. Why should I provide explanations about my personal life? We are genuinely happy and closely connected. That is the complete truth."
She expressed disappointment about how some media outlets handle personal grief. "It saddens me that people use others' sorrow to write articles. That is precisely why I choose not to engage with such speculation."
Understanding Grief After Losing a Long-Term Partner
Hema Malini's heartfelt expressions highlight a universal experience many face when losing a life partner. Psychotherapist Delnna Rrajesh explains that this particular type of grief carries unique challenges.
Grief after decades together manifests quietly yet powerfully. It permeates daily routines and familiar spaces, transforming ordinary moments into painful reminders. Shared emotional patterns, habits, and decision-making processes become deeply intertwined over years.
Delnna notes that our nervous systems learn safety through a partner's constant presence. When that presence vanishes, the body struggles to adjust, even when the mind comprehends the loss. This explains why grief following a long marriage often presents physical and cognitive symptoms alongside emotional pain.
People commonly experience fatigue, mental fog, forgetfulness, sleep disturbances, and sudden emotional surges. These are not indicators of weakness but rather signs of a nervous system adapting to life without its primary anchor.
The Complex Layers of Partner Loss
The pain of losing a life partner does not diminish with age. In many cases, it intensifies because the loss affects one's identity, shared history, and envisioned future.
Another challenging aspect is anticipatory fear. Losing a spouse often brings heightened awareness of aging, vulnerability, and potential future losses. This can create anxiety that feels difficult to express.
What might appear as withdrawal or silence from outsiders is frequently the mind and body attempting to establish emotional safety in a suddenly unfamiliar world. During such times, privacy becomes crucial. Grief requires space to integrate, and external pressures for explanations or public narratives can feel deeply intrusive.
Navigating the Grief Journey
So how does one navigate this difficult terrain without becoming overwhelmed? Delnna offers several insights:
- Accept that grief has no timeline. There is no correct duration for mourning, no specific milestone when life should feel normal again. Healing does not mean forgetting or moving on completely. It involves learning to carry both love and loss together without being consumed by either.
- Allow grief to coexist with daily life. Many people experience guilt when they find moments of calm, laughter, or even joy after a loss. This guilt is misplaced. Grief does not demand permanent sorrow as proof of love. Love transforms rather than disappears as life continues.
- Create new anchors for stability. Gentle routines like consistent sleep schedules, daily walks, or personal rituals provide predictability when everything feels uncertain. These small acts serve as grounding mechanisms rather than distractions.
- Find space to speak without pressure to heal quickly. Grief needs witnesses more than solutions. Being told to stay strong or move on often hinders emotional processing. What truly helps is having the freedom to discuss the loss without expectations for rapid resolution or immediate meaning-making.
- Recognize that identity reshapes over time. This process does not erase the past or replace the bond that existed. Instead, it involves gradually discovering who one becomes after loss. Identity is not destroyed but rather reshaped through this experience.
Hema Malini's openness about her journey offers both vulnerability and strength. Her experience reminds us that grief after losing a long-term partner is a profound transformation that requires patience, self-compassion, and time.
