Dharmendra's death on November 24 brought back memories of his long career and also reminded many of the unique way he managed his two families. The legendary actor, known for classics like Sholay, Zalzala and Dharam Veer, had a personal life that was often discussed but rarely understood fully.
Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur in 1954 and had four children with her – Sunny, Bobby, Vijeeta and Ajeeta. Years later, he married Hema Malini in 1980, and they became parents to Esha and Ahana. Even though his second marriage created headlines, Dharmendra never divorced Prakash Kaur. Instead, he balanced both households in his own way.
Dharmendra's first family lived in their long-standing home, a space that remained separate and private. No one from Hema Malini's home visited that house, and both families maintained a respectful distance. This arrangement continued quietly for decades.
But there was one exception – a moment that stood out because it broke the long-held boundary. And it happened in 2015. That year, Dharmendra's elder brother Ajit Deol, father of actor Abhay Deol, became critically ill. He was being treated at the family's original home, where Dharmendra's first family lived.
Esha and Ahana shared a close bond with their uncle and with Abhay, and when his health worsened, Esha felt she needed to see him. In Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl, Esha recalled what led to that visit. “I wanted to meet my uncle and pay my respects. He loved me and Ahana very much, and we were also very close to Abhay. We had no other way than to go to his house. He was not even in the hospital that we could meet him there. So I called Sunny bhaiya, and they made full arrangements to meet him,” the actress wrote.
That visit also led to Esha Deol meeting her stepmother, Prakash Kaur, for the first time in nearly 30 years. As she shared in the book, “I touched her feet, and she blessed me before leaving.” Even though Dharmendra kept both his families separate, this moment showed the quiet respect that still existed within the larger family.
Following the actor's passing, the Deol family held a prayer meet on Thursday. Hema Malini and her daughters did not attend; instead, they held a Geeta Paath and bhajans at her Mumbai home.
