Mumbai, March 16 (UNI) Veteran Hindi film actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha on Monday expressed his displeasure over late Bollywood legend Dharmendra’s name being kept out of the ‘In Memoriam” segment.
“It is a matter of shame for them if they don’t honour Dilip Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and now, Dharmendra,” Sinha told Variety India.
Sinha, however, asked Variety India why approval from the Oscars mattered for Indians.
“Why does it matter to us? They (the Bollywood legends) are entrenched in our hearts forever.”
Meanwhile, actor Esha Deol, Dharmendra’s daughter, maintained that such omissions can never diminish her father’s legacy. According to Deol, her father’s heart had always been far too big to worry about such things. She emphasised that Dharmendra was never driven by accolades or status, but was about love, kindness and the place he held in people’s hearts.
The 98th Academy Awards were announced on Monday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Robert Redford, Rob Reiner and Diane Keaton, who died last year, were given poignant tributes during the event. However, the ‘In Memoriam’ segment missed mentioning Indian screen legend Dharmendra, who died in November 2025. The Bollywood matinee idol had worked in film for over six decades.
A similar controversy surfaced in 2021 when the Academy Awards failed to include the legendary Dilip Kumar in the same segment, despite his international recognition during his prime time. UNI NST SSP
