When Dharmendra allegedly flew to Chennai to stop Hema Malini from marrying Jeetendra, actress’s father told him, 'Why don’t you get out...'

When Dharmendra allegedly flew to Chennai to stop Hema Malini from marrying Jeetendra, actress’s father told him, 'Why don’t you get out...'

Dharmendra and Hema Malini’s love story has lived far beyond their films. It is remembered as one of Bollywood’s most enduring romances, but the road leading to their marriage in 1980 was marked by tension, drama and multiple attempts by families to pull them apart. One of the most dramatic chapters in that journey was the now-famous “Chennai wedding” incident, where Dharmendra crashed Hema Malini’s secretly planned marriage to Jeetendra.

The two actors fell in love on the sets of Sholay, and by the mid-1970s their relationship was well known in the industry. The problem, however, was clear. Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur and the father of four. His unwillingness to divorce his first wife, combined with Hema Malini’s rising fame and conservative family background, created a conflict that only intensified with time.

Hema’s mother, Jaya Chakravarthy, strongly opposed the relationship. She believed a marriage to Dharmendra would invite controversy, heartbreak and instability. Determined to break the connection, she arranged a match between her daughter and Jeetendra, one of Hema’s frequent co-stars. It was meant to be a clean resolution to a messy situation: a respectable, private wedding to a well-established actor who came from a secure family.

A quiet ceremony was planned in Chennai, with only close relatives present. But secrecy collapsed overnight. A tabloid somehow got wind of the marriage plans and splashed the news, which instantly reached Dharmendra. According to reports from that time, he was “slightly drunk” when he learned of the impending wedding. Shocked and desperate, he immediately boarded a flight to Chennai. In a twist that continues to surprise readers even today, Jeetendra’s then-girlfriend Shobha Sippy (later Shobha Kapoor) accompanied him on the trip.

As reported by Indian Express, when Dharmendra arrived at the wedding venue, emotions ran high. He walked into the gathering and confronted Hema Malini’s family, setting off an intense exchange. Her father, VS Ramanujam Chakravarthy, lost his composure and shouted at him: “Why don’t you get out of my daughter’s life? You are a married man; you can’t marry my daughter.”

Also Read: When Dharmendra paid Rs 20 to spot boys for extra hugs with Hema Malini, Ramesh Sippy says, 'he had plenty of time to romance'

Despite the outburst, the situation soon shifted. Dharmendra was eventually allowed to speak to Hema Malini privately. The conversation between them has never been fully documented, but accounts from those close to the family say Dharmendra pleaded with her to reconsider the marriage. Hema reportedly broke down and asked for time to make a decision, effectively halting the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Jeetendra himself had reservations. As later revealed, he told a close friend, “I don’t want to marry Hema. I am not in love with her. She is not in love with me. But my family wants it, so I might as well.” His reluctance contributed to the collapse of the wedding plan, and the two actors quietly stepped away from the idea.

Jeetendra married Shobha Sippy in 1974. Years later, in 1980, Hema Malini and Dharmendra married in a low-key ceremony, sealing a relationship that had survived resistance from both families and intense public scrutiny.

Dharmendra’s passing at the age of 89 has brought renewed attention to this dramatic chapter of Hindi cinema history. The Chennai wedding episode remains one of the most talked-about moments in Bollywood’s off-screen lore, a reminder of how turbulent and deeply human even the grandest love stories can be.