The complex love life of Bollywood’s dream girl Hema Malini
Even at 76, Hema Malini remains Bollywood’s ‘Dream Girl’. Her beauty captivated Dharmendra, Jeetendra, and Sanjeev Kumar; but her love came with a twist of fate
A breathtaking actress whose mere presence on screen could set countless hearts racing, Hema Malini, known fondly as Bollywood’s ‘Dream Girl’, remains an icon of grace and beauty even at the age of 76. Her timeless charm and elegance continue to enchant generations.
While many admired Hema Malini, three of Indian cinema’s most celebrated stars fell deeply for her. One even proposed marriage. However, fate had its own plans, and it was Dharmendra, already a married man at the time, who ultimately won her heart.
Their romance began amidst the glitter of film sets, but behind the scenes, their love story was filled with complexity. Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur when he met Hema Malini.
READ ALSO: How Hema Malini defied society’s judgment to find true love with Dharmendra
According to Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s biography on Hema Malini, the two allegedly underwent religious conversion to marry; Dharmendra reportedly adopting the name ‘Dilawar’, and Hema Malini said to have become ‘Ayesha’. Their marriage is said to have taken place twice, once in a traditional Iyengar ceremony.
Despite a 13-year age gap, their bond endured. However, before Dharmendra entered her life, two other stars, Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar, had also expressed their love for the dream girl.
Jeetendra, already in a relationship with Shobha Kapoor, grew close to Hema Malini during the shooting of Dulhan (1974). Their growing affection soon became apparent, and when Shobha Kapoor found out, she reportedly asked Dharmendra to step in and help resolve the situation.
The intervention led to a split between Hema Malini and Jeetendra, and Dharmendra and Hema Malini’s connection only deepened from there.
READ ALSO: Hema Malini to show Sholay to her grandchildren after 50 years
Another chapter in Hema Malini’s love life unfolded with actor Sanjeev Kumar, who fell in love with her during the filming of the song Hawa Ke Saath-Saath from the film Seeta Aur Geeta (1972).
His feelings were serious enough that his mother approached Hema Malini’s family with a marriage proposal. However, the match fell through due to a key condition Sanjeev Kumar and his mother wanted Hema Malini to give up acting after marriage.
Hema Malini and her mother could not agree to this. In a 1991 interview with Junior Zee Patrika, Hema Malini revealed that Sanjeev Kumar had envisioned a traditional wife who would manage the household and care for his mother, a role that conflicted with her passion for cinema and independence as a working woman.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp:
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
