For decades, Dharmendra’s life has fascinated not just his fans but the entire nation. The veteran star, who dominated hearts with his charm and old-fashioned heroism, has always had an aura of mystery, particularly about his personal life. Having been married twice, to Prakash Kaur and then Hema Malini, his familial relationships have always been the subject of curiosity, speculation, and admiration.
But now, there is Bobby Deol coming forward to give a new perspective on his father’s life, one that’s much more down-to-earth and loving than the accounts we are normally privy to.
A Life Based on Simplicity
In an open interview with ABP Live, Bobby Deol talked fondly of his parents and dispelled some rumors about Dharmendra’s life.
Contrary to rumors that the veteran actor lives alone, Bobby revealed that Dharmendra and his first wife, Prakash Kaur, live together at their farmhouse in Khandala. “My mom is also there. They’re both at the farm in Khandala right now. Papa and Mummy are together; he just gets a little dramatic,” Bobby said with a smile. “They love being at the farmhouse. They’re old now, and being there is relaxing for them. The weather is nice, and the food is nice. Papa has created a paradise out there.
It’s easy to imagine the scene of the legendary Dharmendra, now in his late 80s, walking through lush greenery, feeding his cows, surrounded by the serenity of nature. Far from the glamour of Mumbai’s film world, this is where he finds his peace with the woman who stood beside him through the toughest and brightest chapters of his life.
The Emotional Core of Dharmendra
Bobby also opened up about his father’s deeply emotional side, something fans have often glimpsed through Dharmendra’s social media posts and public appearances. “Papa is very emotional. He’s very expressive. Sometimes he goes overboard, and I ask him why he wrote what he wrote or said what he said, and he tells me that he was just following his heart,” Bobby shared.
Anyone who has been tracking Dharmendra on social media knows what Bobby is all about. His tweets usually raw, emotional, and straight from the heart show a man who is deeply emotional and speaks his mind. If it’s nostalgia for the golden age of films or love for his family, there’s innocence and warmth that still comes through, reminding one why he is so well loved.
The Woman Who Kept Away from the Limelight
While Hema Malini and Dharmendra’s romance has been referred to time and again as a Bollywood fairytale, Bobby’s lines shift the focus to the lady who has remained silently in the background, Prakash Kaur.
“You don’t hear about my mother much because people don’t usually ask us about her,” Bobby said. “She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met in my life. She’s had a very tough journey. She came from a small village and had to adjust to city life as the wife of a superstar. It wasn’t easy.”
Prakash Kaur has always chosen privacy over publicity. Through the decades, while Dharmendra’s stardom soared, while his second marriage to Hema made headlines, and while his sons entered the film industry, she maintained her dignity and grace, away from the glare of the cameras.
Bobby spoke of her with deep respect and gratitude. “I am what I am because of my wife, and it is the same with my father. It is because of my mother’s support that my father became a big star.”
It’s an uncommon recognition, one that respects the unglamourized fortitude behind a legend’s achievement.
Hema Malini’s Perspective: Choosing Peace
In 2023, Hema Malini herself talked about her relationship with Dharmendra and their unorthodox arrangement. In an interview with Lehren Retro, she explained, “Nobody wants to be like that; it happens automatically.” Every woman wants to have a husband and children, like a normal family. But somewhere, it went out of the way.”
But there was no bitterness in her tone, only acceptance. “I am not feeling bad about it. I am happy with myself. I have my two children, and I have brought them up very well,” she added.
It’s an expression of soft strength, the kind achieved with time, age, and self-confidence. For Hema Malini, her identity has never been limited to Dharmendra’s wife. She has established a remarkable career, raised two successful daughters, Esha and Ahana, and charted out her own space with pride.
A Family with Many Shades
The Deol family history isn’t perfect picture and maybe that’s because it’s real. It is one of love, decisions, adaptations, and acceptance. Dharmendra’s journey from a Punjabi small-town boy to one of the largest icons of Hindi cinema has been phenomenal, but success is backed by the strength of two extraordinary women.
As Bobby Deol himself so eloquently put it, his father has created “a paradise” in Khandala, not merely physically, but emotionally as well. Surrounded by love, memories, and the tranquility of nature, Dharmendra appears to have discovered what he’s always yearned for: a life lived from the heart.
In a world that judges, speculates, and romanticizes, the Deols show us that each family has its own beat, its own reality, and its own brand of togetherness.