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Late actor Dharmendra will always remain as one of Indian cinema’s most beloved icons—not only for his magnetic screen presence but also for the relationships that defined his personal life. When he entered the film industry in the late 1950s, he was already a married man and a father. Two decades later, fate introduced him to Bollywood’s “Dream Girl” Hema Malini, and their bond blossomed into one of Hindi cinema’s most enduring love stories.
Though the couple have spoken openly about their bond over the years, it was only recently that Hema Malini revisited the deeply personal reasons behind her decision to marry a man who already had a family. In an interview with Lehren Retro, she was candid and contemplative as she described the path that led her to Dharmendra.
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“It was circumstances,” she said simply.
Expanding on her thoughts, Hema shared, “Nobody likes to live a life like this. Every woman wants to have a husband, children—a normal life. But in my case, it went out of the way. These were the times when my Guru Maa helped me. Because of that, I wouldn’t feel sad or sulk about my situation. I am happy with myself. I have my two children, and I have brought them up really well. And he (Dharam ji) has always been there. He used to be extremely worried that the kids needed to be married soon.”
Marrying a man with four children from his first marriage subjected her to criticism and judgment. People labelled her unfairly, and the decision—by her own admission—was anything but easy.
“It was a very difficult decision to take,” she reflected, adding, “After the wedding, I became busy with my own work. I had a lot of work at that time. I never planned to have an unconventional life. It was circumstances. I accepted it and went ahead with it. I didn’t feel bad about it. I am happy, and I don’t see why it is a problem to others.”
Hema Malini also spoke fondly of the spark that drew her to Dharmendra. “I was first attracted to him when I saw him at a film premiere. He was very good-looking. Later, we worked in so many films together. We were naturally attracted to each other. He is a nice man—always there with me. During outdoor shoots, he would help me with so many things, support me. I naturally started to depend on him. He is straightforward and simple—I think anyone would like him.”
Their relationship extended beyond the two of them, weaving bonds with Dharmendra’s family as well. In Hema Malini: Beyond The Dream Girl, written by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, she recalled the warmth she received from her in-laws, Kewal Kishan Singh Deol and Satwant Kaur.
On her father-in-law, she wrote: “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, jokingly say, ‘Tum log ghee-makkhan-lassi khao, idli sambhar se taqat nahi aati.’ My father would join in the laughter. He was a very jovial person.”
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Dharmendra’s mother, Satwant Kaur, was equally affectionate. Hema remembered one touching moment in particular: “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.’ I was happy that they were happy with me.”
Hema Malini’s relationship with her stepsons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, has been similarly grounded in mutual respect. After her car accident in 2015, it was Sunny who quietly stepped in.
“Sunny was the first person to come and see me at home,” she said, adding, “He saw that the right doctor was there for the stitches done on my face. Whenever it is necessary, he is always there, along with Dharamji.”
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