Hema Malini has always maintained that she stayed separately after marrying Dharmendra, as she did not want to cause any disturbance. He was already married with children. In an old interview, Hema Malini once opened up about how there came a time when she told Dharmendra that he had to marry her, and all she expected was love.
"He's Always There For Me"
In a 2022 interview with Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today, Hema Malini spoke about being from a conservative Tamil family and knowing that her decision to marry someone who was already married, with children, would come with its problems.
She said, "There was a time when I had to tell him, 'You better marry me now. You cannot go on like this.' I knew there would be a little problem, but I didn't expect anything else from him-just love. He's always there for me, so what else do I need? I don't need property or money or anything else from him. I just need some love. That's it."
In the same conversation, Hema Malini also spoke about her first impression of Dharmendra.
She said, "The very first time I saw him, I had never seen such a handsome man. He was exceptional and good-looking. That really impressed me. It was only later that I started admiring him so much. But it was he who was wooing me. He was also attracted to me."
Dharmendra And Hema Malini's Relationship
Hema Malini married Dharmendra in 1980. At the time, Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur and had four children with her-sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, and daughters Ajeeta and Vijeta Deol. Dharmendra had two daughters with Hema Malini, Esha and Ahaana Deol.
Dharmendra and Hema Malini's relationship was among India's most talked-about ones. The actors worked together in several films, such as Tum Haseen Main Jawaan, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Jugnu, and Dream Girl. Theirs was a relationship that began on the silver screen and turned real. Dharmendra and Hema Malini first met on the sets of Tum Haseen Main Jawaan in 1970. At this point, Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur and was the father of four children.
However, that did not stop Dharmendra from marrying Hema Malini. In 1980, the couple reportedly converted to Islam to marry each other, a claim that film magazines of the time went berserk with. Later, in an interview, Dharmendra denied the claim.
Dharmendra and Hema Malini married in a traditional Iyengar ceremony to honour the actress's roots.
Dharmendra's Death
Dharmendra died in Mumbai on November 24 at the age of 89. The legendary actor, Bollywood's iconic 'He-Man' and the star of over 300 films, died 12 days after he was discharged from Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital. Dharmendra was cremated at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai on November 24 amid tight security. From Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, several Bollywood stars were at the crematorium to pay their last respects to Dharmendra.
The actor's prayer meet took place on November 27 at 5 PM at the Taj Lands End hotel in Mumbai.
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