It took Esha Deol 30 years to meet Dharmendra’s first wife Prakash; Hema Malini said she ‘respects her a lot’

Also read – Esha Deol says her ‘orthodox’ dad Dharmendra wanted to get her married at 18, grandmother didn’t let her wear skirts

Many years earlier, Hema had a similar experience with Dharmendra’s parents, when they decided to get married. “Dharamji’s mother Satwant Kaur was equally warm and kind-hearted. I remember how she came to meet me once at a dubbing studio in Juhu, after I had conceived Esha. She hadn’t informed anyone in the house. I touched her feet, she hugged me and said, ‘Beta, khush raho hamesha (Be happy always).’ I was happy that they were happy with me,” she said. She also recalled her parents’ interactions with Dharmendra’s father, and said, “He would drop by and meet my father or brother for chai. Instead of shaking hands he would arm-wrestle them, and after defeating them he would jokingly say, ‘Tum log ghee-makkhan-lassi khao, idli aur sambhar se taqat nahi aati (Have butter, lassi, ghee. Idli and sambhar won’t make you strong).’ My father would join in the laughter. He (Dharmendra’s father) was a very jovial person.”

In Sholay, audiences witnessed how Hema Malini’s Basanti eventually falls in love with Dharmendra’s Veeru. (Photo: Express Archive)

In her memoir, Hema also reflected on the complicated domestic situation. “I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I am happy with whatever Dharamji did for me and my daughters. He played the role of a father, like any father would do. I guess I am happy with that. Today I am a working woman and I have been able to maintain my dignity because I have devoted my life to art and culture. I guess, if the situation was even slightly different from this, I wouldn’t be what I am today. Though I have never spoken about Prakash, I respect her a lot. Even my daughters respect Dharamji’s family. The world wants to know about my life in detail, but that is not for others to know. It’s no one’s business,” she said.

Dharmendra with Prakash Kaur. (Photo: Press Handout)

In an interview with Stardust conducted a year after Dharmendra and Hema’s marriage, Prakash Kaur seemed to defend him. “Why only my husband? Any man would have preferred Hema over me.” She further questioned, “How dare anyone call my husband a womaniser when half the industry is doing the same thing? He may not be the best husband, though he is very good to me, but he is certainly the best father. His children love him a lot. He never neglects them,” she said.

Esha was in the fourth standard when Hema first told her about their family situation, after someone in her class poked fun at her for having ‘two mothers’. “So, that was when I understood that my mother had married someone who was already married to another lady and that they also had a family. But frankly speaking, I never felt bad about it. Till today, I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. And I give full credit to my parents for not making us ever feel uncomfortable,” she said in Hema’s biography.