Esha Deol’s Instagram clarification — “Papa is stable and recovering” — helped calm the panic after #RIPDharmendra trended for hours.
BY PC Bureau
November 11, 2025 — A late-night frenzy of misinformation gripped India’s television and social media ecosystem on Monday after several mainstream news channels erroneously announced the death of legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra, sparking confusion, panic, and grief across the country for nearly three hours before his family issued a strong rebuttal.
The episode began around 11:45 p.m., when at least four national TV channels — including two Hindi news networks and one entertainment portal — flashed “BREAKING NEWS: Veteran Actor Dharmendra Passes Away at 89” across their tickers. Some even aired sombre montages featuring scenes from Sholay, Phool Aur Patthar, and Dharam Veer, accompanied by melancholic background music and “tributes pouring in” banners.
On social media, the hashtags #RIPDharmendra and #LegendForever began trending within minutes, generating over 1.2 million posts on X (formerly Twitter) before the misinformation was officially debunked.
Viewers were stunned when several prime-time anchors — some with emotional voices — read out unverified “family sources” claiming that the actor had been on a ventilator and had “breathed his last” at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. Within minutes, multiple YouTube news streams began looping old footage of Dharmendra’s public appearances, while Instagram gossip pages amplified the false narrative.
This is the status of #IndianMedia… Just for the sake of TRP, they posted #fake news of legendary actor #Dharmendra Ji’s death!
Disgustingly shameful #GodiMedia – including #IndiaToday, #AajTak, #News18, #IndiaTV etc… pic.twitter.com/2gPK0KsVXJ— SunandaSSinha (@SunandaSSinha) November 11, 2025
The truth, however, was starkly different. At 12:45 a.m., Esha Deol, Dharmendra’s daughter, posted an Instagram story refuting the rumours, writing:
“The media seems to be on an overdrive spreading false news. My father is stable and recovering. We ask for everyone’s privacy. Thank you for the prayers for papa’s speedy recovery.”
Moments later, veteran actress and parliamentarian Hema Malini took to X to condemn the “irresponsible” media conduct:
“What is happening is unforgivable! How can responsible channels spread false news about a person who is responding to treatment and is recovering? This is being extremely disrespectful and irresponsible. Please give due respect to the family and its need for privacy.”
Her post went viral within minutes, garnering over 2 million views and prompting major channels to issue retractions and on-air apologies by early Tuesday morning.
What is happening is unforgivable! How can responsible channels spread false news about a person who is responding to treatment and is recovering? This is being extremely disrespectful and irresponsible. Please give due respect to the family and its need for privacy.
— Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) November 11, 2025
According to family sources, Dharmendra, 89, has been receiving treatment for age-related health complications at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai for several days. His condition is stable, and he is “responding well to treatment,” his son Sunny Deol confirmed in a brief statement outside the hospital.
Meanwhile, the news chaos drew sharp criticism from senior journalists and film industry figures, who condemned the reckless handling of unverified information.
Film critic Anupama Chopra wrote, “In the race to break news, humanity seems to have died first. This is not journalism — it’s noise.”
🚨 शर्मनाक!
Aaj Tak की एंकर अंजना ओम कश्यप ने ऑन-एयर बताया – “धर्मेन्द्र जी का निधन हो गया।”
कुछ ही मिनटों बाद परिवार ने बताया – धर्मेन्द्र जी ज़िंदा हैं! 🙏
ये कैसी “जर्नलिज़्म” है?
TRP के लिए किसी की मौत तक बेच दोगे क्या? 😡 pic.twitter.com/QYEIexS3GT
— Mr Sharma (@sharma_views) November 11, 2025
READ: DNA Test Key to Confirm Identity of Red Fort Blast Suspect Dr. Umar U Nabi
READ: Red Fort Blast: Families Left to Ferry Bodies as Chaos Erupts at Delhi Hospital
Sources said several celebrities — including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aryan Khan, and Govinda — rushed to the hospital late at night after seeing the false reports, only to find Dharmendra alive and under observation.
By morning, the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) issued an advisory urging all member channels to verify health-related information directly from family or hospital authorities before airing.
Dharmendra, fondly known as the “He-Man of Bollywood,” continues to hold an iconic place in Indian cinema with a six-decade-long career that defined generations of moviegoers.
The family has requested fans to ignore speculative or sensational coverage and to continue praying for his swift recovery.
