The 79th edition of the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) turned poignant on Sunday night as it remembered legendary Indian actor Dharmendra during its 'In Memoriam' segment. The ceremony, held at London’s Royal Festival Hall, honoured film personalities from around the world who passed away over the past year.
The Bollywood He-Man, Dharmendra, who died in November last year, was acknowledged among several global cinema icons in a heartfelt video tribute celebrating their contributions to the world of film.
Singer Jessie Ware performed an emotional rendition of Barbra Streisand’s classic “The Way We Were” during the segment. Her performance accompanied a montage remembering notable figures such as Diane Keaton, Terence Stamp, Catherine O’Hara, Rob Reiner, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Tom Stoppard, Brigitte Bardot, Lalo Schifrin, Michael Madsen and Val Kilmer, with Dharmendra also included in the tribute.
Jessie Ware performing "The Way We Were" during 'In Memoriam' segment.#EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/E2CYnG4f2x
” Enjoy The Music (@EnjoyTheMusic9) February 22, 2026
Fans back home in India were deeply touched by BAFTA’s tribute to Dharmendra, with many sharing emotional messages and reactions on X (formerly Twitter) in memory of the late icon.
“Good to see BAFTA remembering Dharmendra ji,” one wrote, while another posted, “The BAFTA Awards featured Dharmendra in their In Memoriam section.” A fan also shared an image captioned, “The #BAFTA In Memoriam #Dharmendra.”
“Poor oversight by BAFTA. James Van Der Beek and Eric Dane should have been included in the memorial section': 'Where was James Van Der Beek in that tribute to all the actors???'” one comment on X read.
At the same time, several international viewers expressed anger after noticing that Eric Dane and James Van Der Beek were not included in the In Memoriam segment. Grey's Anatomy star Eric's death was confirmed by his family in a statement earlier this month. He died after his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis. He was 53. Meanwhile, Dawson Creek's James passed away at the age of 48 on February 11, following a battle with stage three colorectal cancer.
