In a rare and emotional statement, veteran actress and politician Hema Malini has come forward to defend her stepson Sunny Deol after videos of his heated exchange with photographers during Dharmendra’s funeral rituals went viral on social media.

The late legendary actor’s final rites were marked by intense media attention, with cameras following the grieving family from Mumbai to Haridwar, where Dharmendra’s ashes were immersed. Several clips showed a visibly distressed Sunny Deol losing his temper, asking photographers to step back and questioning their lack of sensitivity. Stay tuned with The GossipGully.com for more updates.

Breaking her silence, Hema Malini addressed the incident and firmly stood by Sunny Deol, describing the paparazzi’s conduct as “relentless harassment.”

“Sunny was getting very upset, and rightly so,” Hema Malini said. “We were all going through immense emotional pain. The media was chasing our cars, putting cameras in our faces during the most private moments. Harassment bahut hua. There has to be a limit.”

One of the most widely circulated videos captured Sunny Deol shouting, “Aap logon ko sharam nahi aati?” as photographers crowded around the vehicle carrying his father’s mortal remains. Another clip from Haridwar showed him confronting a cameraman during sacred prayer rituals, expressing anger over what he perceived as sensationalism.

According to Hema Malini, the family had reached a breaking point after weeks of emotional exhaustion. She revealed that Sunny and Bobby Deol had barely slept—first during Dharmendra’s prolonged hospitalisation and then through the funeral arrangements.

“Sunny was protecting the dignity of the family,” she explained.
“When you are mourning, you don’t expect to be treated like a spectacle.”

Hema also clarified that there is no tension or divide within the Deol family, firmly dismissing speculation sparked by the public nature of the incident.

“Yeh humare ghar ka personal mamla hai. We are united, and there is no need for anyone to worry about our bond,” she stated.

The incident has reignited a larger debate around paparazzi ethics in Bollywood, with many social media users siding with the Deol family and demanding stricter boundaries during funerals and personal tragedies. While Dharmendra was celebrated as a “people’s superstar,” his family believes his final journey deserved dignity and privacy—something they feel was compromised.

As the Deols continue to mourn the loss of one of Indian cinema’s most iconic figures, the family has requested space and sensitivity during this deeply personal time.