Dharmendra and Hema Malini’s relationship has always stood apart from the usual Bollywood love stories. Their bond blossomed even though Dharmendra was already married and a father of four. As Dharmendra passed away on November 24, anecdotes and moments from his life are now being remembered. Apart from his on-screen portrayals and iconic movies, his personal life has also always been in the spotlight. Their love story, which began on film sets and eventually moved beyond the screen, was one of India’s most discussed. The pair starred together in numerous iconic films like ‘Tum Haseen Main Jawaan’, ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Jugnu’ and ‘Dream Girl’. When the duo fell in love, Dharmendra was already a husband and father. Dharmendra was married to Prakash Kaur and had had four children – Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Ajeita, Vijeta. While Dharmendra married Hema Malini, she and his first wife Prakash Kaur never crossed paths. He always lived with his first family. But in her biography, ‘Hema Malini: Beyond The Dream Girl’ by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, the actress had spoken about her first encounter with Dharmendra’s mother, Satwant KaurHema shared that Satwant Kaur made a quiet visit to see her after she became pregnant with her elder daughter, Esha Deol. Describing that heartfelt encounter, Hema wrote, “Dharam ji’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, and she hugged me and said, ‘Beta, khush raho hamesha (Be happy always).’ I was happy that they were happy with me.”She also fondly reminisced about Dharmendra’s father, Kewal Kishan Singh Deol, and his friendly rapport with her own father, V. S. Ramanujam Chakravarthy. Hema remembered how their meetings often turned playful and competitive.She 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 nahin 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.”
