Veteran actor Dharmendra passed away at 89 on Monday, leaving the entertainment world in shock. Fondly remembered as Bollywood’s He-Man, he remains one of Hindi cinema’s most iconic and celebrated stars. He had been unwell for several days and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. He was discharged on November 12. On Monday, an ambulance reached the veteran actor’s house.
As people pay tribute to Dharmendra, social media is filled with memories of his powerful screen presence and discussions about his personal life, especially his relationship with Hema Malini.
Their love story has always been one of Bollywood’s most talked about. When they married in 1980, Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur and had four children Sunny, Bobby, Vijeta and Ajeita. To avoid hurting anyone and to keep peace in the family, Hema Malini chose to live separately, out of respect for everyone involved.
Hema Malini on Living Separately
In her biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond The Dream Girl’, she addressed her life choices with clarity and grace, “I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I am happy with whatever Dharamji did for me and my daughters.” The actress decision came from a place of grace and having respect towards everyone involved including Dharmendra’s first wife Prakash Kaur and his children.
She also opened up about facing judgement for being labelled “the other woman,” saying, “Fingers were pointed. Accusations were flung at us. I knew people discussed me behind my back. I just knew that he made me happy. And all I wanted was happiness.”
Dismissing assumptions that their unconventional marriage left her lonely, Hema offered a balanced view of their dynamic, “I am not a police officer who needs to keep tabs on him. I don’t need to show people a roll-call register of how many days he visits me. He knows his duty as a father, and I’ve never had to remind him of it.”
In a conversation with Lehren Retro, she acknowledged the reality of living separately despite being married she had said, “Nobody wants to live like this. But automatically, what happens, you have to accept. I am not sulking about it. I am happy with myself. I have my two children, and I have brought them up well.” Dharmendra and Hema Malini have two children together, Esha and Ahana Deol.
