Author and columnist Shobhaa De has questioned why veteran actor Dharmendra, who passed away at 89, did not receive a state funeral. De stated that Dharmendra was highly loved and richly deserved such an honor, drawing parallels to Sridevi who received one. She suggested the absence of a state funeral might be due to an oversight or political reasons, noting that Hema Malini, a parliamentarian, could have potentially facilitated it. De also commented on Hema Malini's prayer meet, observing her distinct address of Dharmendra as 'Dharam Ji'.