'Shame': Was Dharmendra snubbed in Oscars tribute despite being listed online? Hema Malini reacts

As the 98th Academy Awards took place in Los Angeles on March 15, the live broadcast aired in India in the early hours of Monday. While many Indian viewers followed the ceremony, some expressed disappointment after veteran actor Dharmendra was not mentioned during the televised ‘In Memoriam’ segment at the Oscars 2026.

However, both Dharmendra and Manoj Kumar were included in the ‘In Memoriam’ section on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences website. Although Dharmendra’s name did not appear during the live broadcast, it was listed on the official Oscars website.

Amid reactions online, actor and politician Hema Malini commented on the issue. She 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. Dharamji was known and recognised everywhere. He never got too many awards during his lifetime. Why should he care about the Oscars? Both of us, we were happy to be loved in our country. But awards always eluded him. Even I didn’t get any award for my best performances in Lal Patthar and Meera.”


After the telecast, several social media users criticised the omission from the broadcast. One user wrote on X: “#Oscars or just a Hollywood PR show? Disgraceful to snub Bollywood legend Dharmendra in the 'In Memoriam' tribute after 60 years of cinema.” Another said, “The Oscars showed a list of people who passed away last year, yet didn’t mention Dharmendra, a legendary Indian actor who gave his entire life to cinema. Why so much hype when our icons get no recognition? After all, it’s mainly a Hollywood show, not truly international. #Oscars.”

However, many of these reactions came before it was widely noted that Dharmendra’s name had been included on the official website, even though it was not shown during the broadcast segment.

During the live tribute, references were made to several late Hollywood figures, including Diane Keaton, Catherine O'Hara, Robert Redford, Udo Kier, Rob Reiner, Robert Duvall, Gene Hackman and Val Kilmer.