Actor Dharmendra, known as the ‘He-Man’ of Bollywood, was often in the news and tabloids for rumours about his interesting love life.
The actor died on Monday at the age of 89. The film industry and fans are now mourning the end of an era of Indian cinema. Dharmendra was considered the most handsome and commercially successful man in the industry. His last rites and cremation were attended by his entire family, including his second wife, Hema Malini and their daughter.
Ever since Dharmendra married Hema in 1980, many who were confused had to speculate to make sense of their untraditional family structure.
Dharmendra's first marriage was to Prakash Kaur, a woman who has largely stayed out of the spotlight. They tied the knot in 1954 when the actor was just 19 years old, following traditional customs.
The couple went on to have four children: Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Ajeita Deol, Vijeita Deol. The actor was known to have a stable marriage for many years, and they remained out of controversies until the late 70’s .
Dharmendra first met Hema Malini on the set of the film Tu Haseen Main Jawan. The two continued to grow close as they kept working together in the industry. Soon they became one of the biggest talking points of the late 70’s and the early 80’s.
Controversy followed after Dharmendra married Hema Malini while still being married to Prakash. Rumours soon began circulating; many said the couple had to convert to Islam to tie the knot and sign the contract, and then had to do it again in the traditional Iyengar ceremony.
The narrative continued for many years. In Hema Malini’s biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl', biographer Ram Kamal Mukherjee wrote that the two took on the names Dilawar Khan and Ayesha Bi before getting married.
In 2004, during the Lok Sabha election, the story resurfaced. Controversy erupted after Congress leaders found out that Dharmendra had declared only Prakash Kaur’s assets without mentioning Hema Malaini. Around the same time, a nikahnama with both actors' names (an Islamic marriage document) was published by Outlook magazine. The document's origin or validity has not been verified to this day.
Congress Party leaders accused Dharmendra, who was then a BJP candidate from Bikaner, of conversion. They said that the actor converted to solemnise their marriage since it was not permitted under Hindu law.
The rumours were finally put to rest when Dharmendra told Outlook magazine in 2004, “This allegation is totally incorrect. I am not the kind of man who will change his religion to suit his interests.”
Hema Malini also denied the rumours, “This is extremely personal between us. Nobody else should bother about this,” she said.
The two have two daughters together, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Hema lived separately from Dharmendra; however, the two maintained their strong bond.
Despite such speculations, they remained two of the most popular and loved actors in the industry. Praksh Kaur was one of the first to defend them. She said
“Why only my husband, any man would have preferred Hema over me. How dare anyone call my husband a womaniser when half the industry is doing the same thing?”
She also said that Dharmendra was a loving father and a caring husband.
