Hema Malini and Dharmendra’s marriage was the talk of the town back in the day, and not without reason — it had all the makings of a Bollywood blockbuster. Hema, the reigning ‘Dream Girl’ of Bollywood,
and Dharmendra, the ultimate He-man, falling head over heels on the sets of Tum Haseen Main Jawan. But there was one big twist — Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur.
Also read: When Pregnant Esha Deol Re-Married Bharat Takhtani, Hema Malini And Jaya Bachchan Performed Rituals
The story goes that Dharmendra was so smitten with Hema Malini that he couldn’t let anything stand in their way, not even his existing marriage. Since his first wife wasn’t willing to grant a divorce, they decided to take a different route. In a move that left everyone talking, they both converted to Islam to get married, with Dharmendra adopting the name Dilawar Khan and Hema becoming Aisha Bi. They had a private Nikah ceremony in 1980, and later, to honour Hema’s roots, they even had an Iyengar-style wedding.
Hema Malini has often spoken warmly about her bond with Dharmendra’s sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol. She once called their relationship “very beautiful and cordial,” recalling how Sunny rushed to see her after her 2015 road accident and even made sure the right doctor treated her stitches. She has also shared that the Deols remain a close family, marking occasions like Raksha Bandhan together — even if they don’t post about it.
Sunny Deol’s Gesture During Hema Malini’s Accident
What many did not expect at the time was the immediate presence of Sunny Deol. Hema shared how the actor, her stepson from Dharmendra’s first marriage, was among the very first to check on her after she returned home from treatment.
“Everyone wonders what kind of a relationship we (Sunny and I) are having. It is very beautiful and cordial. Whenever it is necessary, he (Sunny) is always there, along with Dharamji, especially when this accident happened,” Malini said.
“He (Sunny) was the first person to come and see me at home and he saw that the right doctor is there for the stitches that were done on my face. I was really taken aback to see him showing so much interest. That shows what kind of a relationship we are having,” she added.
Sunny Deol On Sisters Esha Deol, Ahana Deol
Sunny and Bobby Deol shared a rare public moment with their half-sisters Esha and Ahana Deol during the Gadar 2 screening in 2023. To celebrate the film’s massive success, Esha hosted a special show for family and close friends, where the siblings came together and even posed for pictures. It marked the first time that all four of Dharmendra’s children — Sunny and Bobby from Prakash Kaur, and Esha and Ahana from Hema Malini — were seen making a public appearance as a family.
When asked about their equation with both Ahana and Esha, Sunny said, “They are my sisters. That is what it is. Nothing changes that. They were very happy. The most beautiful thing over everything was the film became successful. I was going here, there, everywhere. And then, I wanted to have a success party. But I was like, ‘will everybody come or not?’ I had my friend Kareem with me who knows everyone in the industry. He did everything. Till the evening, I was not sure who was going to attend it. But the way everybody came and the kind of love everybody gave, I was so happy seeing everyone coming home.”
