Dharmendra, who was married to Prakash Kaur for about 25 years, shocked the industry when he tied the knot with Bollywood diva Hema Malini in 1980. The following year, the couple welcomed their first child, Esha Deol, and four years later, their second daughter, Ahana Deol. Dharmendra remained married to his first wife, and largely lived with her, Hema Malini raised their daughters with the support of her mother..
Despite the distance and unconventional family dynamics, Dharmendra’s daughters have often spoken about how present and affectionate he was throughout their childhood.
Ahana Deol, who prefers to stay away from the limelight, once shared some of her fondest memories of her father in a conversation with HerZindagiBuzz.
Recalling one such moment, Ahana said, “I was six when he was going to his farm in Lonavala. He had just dropped by to tell us goodbye before leaving. I suddenly said, ‘I want to go too…’ and it was so impromptu—he packed my bags and took me with him. He made me sit on his lap in the car. It is one of the best memories I have with him. I will always remember it very fondly.”
Like many star kids, Ahana also struggled with seeing her parents romance other actors on screen.
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“It wasn’t a good feeling, honestly. I used to get very confused and angry. My mom would explain that this is what she does for a living, but initially, I didn’t like my parents romancing others on screen,” she shared.
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Ahana also spoke warmly about the values her father instilled in her—lessons she continues to carry proudly. “My dad has always taught me to be affectionate. He would always say, ‘It is about love and affection.’ He taught me to be happy, healthy, and strong. It might sound simple, but it has a much deeper meaning.”
When asked what she would like to inherit from her father, Ahana didn’t hesitate: “My dad’s Fiat.”
She explained, “I would love to inherit my father’s first car—his Fiat. That car is so cute and vintage, and I’m sure he has countless memories attached to it. It’s just something I would love to have as mine.”
Meanwhile, Dharmendra’s elder daughter, Esha Deol, has also spoken about her deep admiration for her father. She once recalled breaking down on a film set after witnessing an action scene in which actor Ranjit appeared to whip him.
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“I remember I was very little and my dad was doing this action sequence with Ranjit ji, who was the villain. He was getting whipped and showing all this pain. I was traumatised. I thought, ‘Who is beating up my father?’ My dad is known as the He-Man of Bollywood, and even if he wasn’t, he was always a He-Man for us. Seeing him get beaten up made me cry. They had to stop shooting and send me back to the hotel,” Esha told Bollywood Hungama.
Despite their loving relationship, Esha admits that she once hit a rough patch with her father when he strongly opposed her decision to enter the film industry.
“He didn’t want me to be in the industry. He was a little orthodox. He’s a Punjabi father, and he wanted me to get married at 18. That was his conditioning—every woman in his family married at that age. But I had a different upbringing. I grew up watching my mother perform and go out to work. My direction changed automatically, and I was adamant that I wanted to be like her. Initially, he was against it, but now it’s a whole different story,” Esha told Hauterrfly.
