Bollywood legend Dharmendra (89) passed away at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, leaving the Indian film fraternity in deep shock and mourning. Born on December 8, 1935, Dharmendra began his illustrious career in 1960 with the romantic drama Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere. At the age of 19, he married Prakash Kaur in 1954. The couple had two sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol, and two daughters, Vijeta and Ajeeta.
Later, Dharmendra fell in love with actress Hema Malini. When he sought a divorce from his first wife to marry Hema, Prakash Kaur refused. Reports from that time suggested that Dharmendra secretly converted to Islam, adopting the name Dilawar Khan, to marry Hema Malini in 1980, as Islamic law permits more than one marriage. Their love story reportedly blossomed during the filming of Sholay, where Dharmendra is said to have paid light boys to deliberately delay shots so he could embrace Hema repeatedly during romantic scenes—spending nearly Rs 2,000 for those retakes, according to industry anecdotes.
During the 1970s, Dharmendra and Hema Malini became one of Bollywood’s most celebrated on-screen pairs, starring together in several hit films such as Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Seeta Aur Geeta, and Sholay. Their reel-life chemistry soon turned into real-life romance. After Prakash Kaur’s refusal to grant a divorce, Dharmendra reportedly chose religious conversion to marry Hema, who later bore him two daughters — Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.
The marriage caused emotional strain within Dharmendra’s first family, especially for his sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, leading to a period of distance. However, reports suggest that the couple later observed several Hindu customs again following public criticism of the conversion. Despite the controversy, Prakash Kaur never publicly criticized Dharmendra, stating in an interview that he remained a good father and fulfilled his duties, though she admitted that her pain as a wife was something few could truly understand.