Esha Deol on Learning About Dharmendra’s First Marriage as a Child

Esha Deol has shared a memory from her childhood that stayed with her for years — the moment she found out that her father, Dharmendra, had a first marriage with Prakash Kaur. Esha said she learnt about this truth not at home, but unexpectedly at school when she was in the fourth standard.

For a long time, Esha only knew the world inside her own home with her mother, Hema Malini, and sister, Ahana. But one day, a classmate walked up to her and asked a question she wasn’t prepared for:
“Your dad never stays at home at night? And you have two moms?”

The young Esha was taken aback. Until then, she had no idea about Dharmendra’s earlier marriage or that he had children from it — Sunny, Bobby, Vijeta and Ajeeta. The sudden revelation left her confused, and she went home that day trying to make sense of what she had heard.

When she brought it up with her mother, Hema Malini explained everything with patience. Esha recalled that her mother chose simple words to help her understand a complicated situation. That evening, she realised that her father’s life included two families, something she had never thought about before.

A Complicated Family, Handled with Care

Dharmendra married Hema Malini in 1980, at a time when he was already married to Prakash Kaur. Although he continued to be part of both families, he was not always present at Hema’s home during the night, something Esha eventually noticed but never questioned until her schoolmate mentioned it.

Looking back, Esha says her parents made sure she and Ahana were raised with love and confidence, despite the unusual family setup. She now sees the situation with maturity and understands that relationships are sometimes messy, especially in the film industry where personal lives are often under the spotlight.

Acceptance With Time

As she grew older, Esha found her own way of accepting the bigger picture. Today, she shares a cordial relationship with her extended family, including her half-brothers Sunny and Bobby Deol. Public appearances and family gatherings over the years have shown the warmth that now exists between the families.

This story from Esha’s childhood offers a rare glimpse into the emotional side of celebrity families — a reminder that behind the glamour, there are real people dealing with real situations, just like everyone else.