Who is Deepti Bhatnagar? Dharmendra’s daughter-in-law who trained under Shah Rukh Khan for acting and now shines as a travel vlogger

Who is Deepti Bhatnagar?

The Deol family is one of Bollywood’s most iconic dynasties. From Dharmendra’s golden-era charm to the fiery screen presence of Sunny and Bobby Deol, and the next generation represented by Esha and Abhay Deol — the family has long been synonymous with cinematic legacy.

Yet, one member of this illustrious clan chose to walk a different path,  Deepti Bhatnagar, Dharmendra’s daughter-in-law, who traded movie sets for the open road and became one of India’s earliest travel show pioneers.

Born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Deepti’s journey to stardom began not in front of the camera, but with a small handicraft business.

A chance opportunity in modelling changed everything. Within months, she had won a beauty pageant at just 18, and her life took a dramatic turn.

Deepti is married to Randeep Arya, son of Dharmendra’s cousin Veerendra.

“When I came first to Mumbai at the age of 22, I opened my first bank account with State Bank of India, Juhu, and vowed that by the end of the month, I’d have a lakh in my account. Modelling was easy money, so I succeeded,” Deepti told Hindustan Times in 2022.

Also Read: When Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra hopped into an auto to escape the crowd

“When I came to Mumbai, I wanted to buy my dream house in 11 months. And, I did! In Juhu, and that too, from Madhuri Dixit,” she added.

Her film debut came with Ram Shashtra (1995), followed by roles in Pelli Sandadi, Dharma Chakkaram, and Mann. She even ventured into Hollywood with the 1997 thriller Inferno. Despite her success, acting never truly captured her heart.

She trained under Shah Rukh Khan for Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa but admitted she “ran away from the screen test.”

Fate had other plans: it was a commercial shoot with Randeep Arya, son of Dharmendra’s cousin Veerendra, led to love and marriage. The couple now have two sons, Shubh and Shiv.

In 2001, Deepti launched a production company and created beloved travel shows like Yatra and Musaafir Hoon Yaaron, exploring 90 countries along the way. “My shows ‘Yatra’ and ‘Musaafir Hoon Yaaron’ have taught me humility, how to connect with people, and to appreciate the world’s beauty,” she shared.

Today, with over 190,000 YouTube subscribers, Deepti continues to inspire others to live curiously. “Maybe if I had made acting in movies my goal, then I would have done more films. But, I feel I’ve done really well for myself,” she said.