‘Dharmendra's first wife Prakash Kaur and family sidelined Hema Malini after veteran actor's death’, claims journalist Shobhaa De

‘Dharmendra's first wife Prakash Kaur and family sidelined Hema Malini after veteran actor's death’, claims journalist Shobhaa De

• Dharmendra's death revealed tensions between his first family and Hema Malini.
• Shobhaa De praised Hema Malini's dignified response to being sidelined
• Separate prayer meetings were held by Dharmendra's sons and Hema Malini's family

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The passing of Dharmendra on November 24 at the age of 89 marked the end of an era in Indian cinema. As fans, colleagues, and admirers mourned the legendary actor, his final rites and subsequent prayer meetings also brought long-simmering family dynamics into the public eye.

In the days that followed, the visible distance between Dharmendra’s first family and his second wife, Hema Malini, became a subject of quiet but intense discussion.

Revisiting that moment now, noted author and columnist Shobhaa De offered a candid perspective on the situation. Speaking in an interview with journalist Barkha Dutt, Shobhaa De claimed that Hema Malini was sidelined by Dharmendra’s first wife, Prakash Kaur, and her family after the actor’s demise.

According to Shobhaa, the emotional weight of the situation cannot be overstated. “It must have been a very difficult and tough decision. His first family separated him from everything in which he had spent 45 years of his life, which he had lovingly cherished, which had enriched his life,” she said.

Referring to Hema Malini’s long partnership with Dharmendra and their two daughters, Shobhaa De added that “receiving such treatment after giving 45 years of life is painful.”

Despite the personal loss and visible exclusion, Shobhaa De emphasised Hema Malini’s restraint. “This must have caused her a lot of pain, but she kept it limited to her personal life,” she noted.

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“The way she handled it and whenever she did a public event, I think she carried it out with full dignity. Not only for herself but also for the person she had lost.”

Shobhaa De further reflected on Hema Malini’s choice to stay away from public spectacle.

“Hema herself is an influential personality. Despite that, she did not make any public display and chose dignity. I think this reveals a lot about her personality,” she said.

She also pointed out that the media climate could easily have turned invasive. “If she wanted to, she could have very easily hijacked those emotional moments right after Dharam ji’s demise. The media would have loved to cover her tears and every sob, intruding into her privacy.”

The separation between the two families was evident in how memorials were organised.

On November 27, Dharmendra’s sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol hosted a prayer meeting at Mumbai’s Taj Lands End Hotel, where Hema Malini was notably absent.

On the same day, she held a Gita recitation at her home. Later, on December 11, Hema Malini, along with daughters Esha and Ahana Deol, conducted a separate prayer meeting in Delhi.