Imagine discovering in school that your father has another family you never knew about. That’s exactly what happened to Esha Deol, daughter of legendary Bollywood stars Dharmendra and Hema Malini. The revelation shook her world — and raised questions that many in India still find uncomfortable discussing. But here’s where it gets even more intriguing: Esha says she never held any resentment about it.
Dharmendra’s marriage to Hema Malini has long been one of Bollywood’s most talked-about love stories — and one of its most debated. Before tying the knot with Hema, Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur and was the father of four children — Sunny, Bobby, Vijeta, and Ajeita Deol. Yet, when Esha and her sister Ahana were young, they had no knowledge of their father’s first marriage. Everything changed for Esha when she was in the fourth grade.
In Hema Malini’s biography, Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, Esha shared a memory that stayed with her forever. One day at school, a classmate approached her with an innocent but startling question: “You have two moms, right?” The young Esha, caught off guard, immediately snapped back, insisting, “That’s not true—I have only one mother.” But that question lingered in her mind long after she returned home.
That evening, Esha confronted her mother, curious and slightly anxious. Sensing her daughter’s confusion, Hema Malini chose honesty. “It was around that time,” Esha recalled, “that my mother decided to tell me the truth. We were so young—just in the fourth standard—and completely unaware of the adult world. Kids today are far more observant.” It was then that Esha learned her father was already married and had another family before marrying her mother.
Despite the dramatic nature of this revelation, Esha insists her feelings toward her father never turned bitter. “Honestly, I never felt bad about it,” she said. “Even now, I see nothing wrong with it. I actually admire my parents for raising us in such a way that we never felt uncomfortable or different.”
Growing up, one thing did stand out, though: Dharmendra was rarely home at night. Esha remembered that he would often join them for dinner but would then leave soon after. As a child, this seemed normal—until she visited her friends’ homes. “I noticed that their fathers stayed with them in the evenings, and that’s when I realized that’s how most families live,” she said. “But my mother kept our world full of love and warmth. I was content with her and deeply loved my father.”
Dharmendra passed away on November 24 due to age-related health issues. A prayer meeting in his memory was held by his first wife, Prakash Kaur, and their sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol. Interestingly, Hema Malini and her daughters, Esha and Ahana, did not attend. However, Hema honored her late husband in her own way, organizing a Gita paath and bhajan sandhya at her residence. Some fans viewed this separation as a respectful acknowledgment of both families; others called it evidence of old wounds that never truly healed.
So what do you think? Was Dharmendra’s unconventional family life a reflection of love’s complexity—or an example of moral compromise? And could the grace with which Esha Deol speaks about her parents teach us something about acceptance and forgiveness? Share your take in the comments—this is one story that still divides opinions decades later.
