Hema Malini married Dharmendra in 1980. She married the love of her life, despite Dharmendra already being married to Prakash Kaur and having four children with her: sons Sunny and Bobby Deol and daughters Ajeeta and Vijeta Deol. However, this was also a phase when Hema Malini went through a disastrous financial mess that lasted for 10 years.
When Dharmendra Offered Help To Hema Malini
Hema Malini: Beyond The Dream Girl, written by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, discusses this incident in detail, mentioning, "Dharmendra offered to help, but she would have none of it."
How Hema Malini Ended Up In Debt
Hema Malini also spoke about how her mother was not very responsible when it came to paying taxes, despite her father's constant reminders.
She said, "My father would keep reminding Amma that we needed to pay the taxes, but my mother, being naive, felt it was unfair to expect us to pay so much tax since her daughter was working so hard to earn that money."
It was only after her father's death that Hema Malini realised the financial burden they had to clear. As an actor, the easiest and fastest way to make money was by doing as many films as she could. This led to her doing a lot of B-grade films, as Hema Malini was already a mother of two girls, and major banners weren't ready to take a chance on her.
Hema shared, "It was the worst phase of my life, and it lasted for almost ten years. I had to clear my debts, and barring these films, I had nothing. Dance shows kept me going, but the majority of the money came from movies."
When Esha Deol Got To Know About Hema Malini's Financial Crisis
Esha Deol recalled that she only got to know the story behind her mother's film choices in the 1980s later, when she saw her shooting a lot after her younger sister Ahana was born.
Esha said, "After Ahana was born, I realised that Mom had started shooting a lot. She would barely be at home. Later on, when we watched a few films like Durga, Anjaam, Sitapur Ki Geeta and Jamai Raja, I remember asking her why she was doing these movies. That is when she told me about the debt."
Dharmendra And Hema Malini's Relationship
Their relationship was among India's most talked-about. The actors worked together in several films such as Tum Haseen Main Jawaan, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Jugnu, and Dream Girl. Their relationship began on screen and turned into reality. Dharmendra and Hema Malini met on the sets of Tum Haseen Main Jawaan in 1970. By then, Dharmendra was already married and a father of four.
However, that did not stop Dharmendra from marrying Hema Malini. In 1980, the couple reportedly converted to Islam to marry, a claim that film magazines of the time went berserk over. Later, Dharmendra denied this claim in an interview.
They eventually 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 star of over 300 films, passed away 12 days after being discharged from Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital. Dharmendra was cremated at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai on November 24 amid tight security.
The actor's prayer meet took place on November 27 at 5 PM at the Taj Lands End hotel in Mumbai.