Dharmendra, one of Indian cinema’s most iconic stars, breathed his last today, on Monday, November 24, after a prolonged battle with respiratory issues. The actor with his rich cinematic legacy will continue to live in the hearts of audiences forever through his iconic roles and evergreen dialogues.
Coming from a small village in Ludhiana district of Punjab, Dharmendra’s career kicked off unexpectedly after winning a talent contest where he was promised a film debut as a prize. While the project never saw the light of the day, he was spotted by director Arjun Hingorani who launched him with Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere in 1960.
Dharmendra holds the record of starring in the highest number of hit films in Hindi cinema and has acted in a variety of roles spanning across genres. However, it wasn’t only the movies that kept him in news, but also his personal life.
With two marriages, six children, and thirteen grandchildren, many of Dharmendra’s family members are working in the film industry today. In this article we detail the sprawling family tree of Bollywood’s most beloved actor.
Here’s a look at Dharmendra’s family tree:
Dharmendra’s two marriages and six children
While Dharmendra was already married with four children, he couldn’t help falling in love with the Dream Girl Hema Malini after he first worked with her in 1970 films Sharafat and Tum Haseen Main Jawan, and then subsequently in many films including Naya Zamana, Seeta Aur Geeta, Raja Jani, Jugnu, Patthar Aur Payal, Pratigya, and Sholay.
Dharmendra married his first wife Prakash Kaur, quite early, at the age of 19, in the year 1954, many years before he got a break in Bollywood. The couple had two sons – Sunny Deol (1956) and Bobby Deol (1969), and two daughters, Vijeta (born in 1962) and Ajeeta (born in 1966). In fact, Dharmendra named his production house Vijayta Films after his daughter.
The two tied the knot in 1980 amid rumours of the actors converting to Islam for their wedding. The couple got blessed with two daughters – Esha Deol (born in 1981) and Ahana Deol (born in 1985).
Dharmendra’s parents
Born on December 8, 1935, in Nasrali village of Punjab’s Ludhiana district, Dharmendra came from a humble yet deeply rooted Punjabi family. His father, Kewal Kishan Singh Deol, was a school headmaster, known for his disciplined life and gentle disposition. His mother, Satwant Kaur, was the emotional anchor of the household, raising her children with traditional Sikh values.
Children With Prakash Kaur
Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur share four children:
Sunny Deol (Ajay Singh Deol): Following in the footsteps of father Dharmendra, the actor started his film career with Betaab in 1983. Much like his father, Deol Sr started out as a romantic actor, but went on to do memorable action films from Ghayal to Gadar.
Sunny Deol got married to Pooja Deol and has two sons from the marriage – Karan Deol (son) and Rajveer Deol. Karan Deol on the other hand is married to Drisha Acharya. Karan debuted in Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas (2019) and also acted in Apne 2. Rajveer on the other hand debuted with Dono in 2023.
Bobby Deol (Vijay Singh Deol): The actor who was raised in a protective environment by parents started his film career with Barsaat in 1995, opposite Twinkle Khanna. The actor rediscovered himself with Animal, and was recently praised for his performance in Netflix’s Ba***s of Bollywood.
Bobby is married to Tanya Ahuja and the couple have two children – Aryaman Deol (son), and Dharam Deol (son) with the latter named after grandfather Dharmendra.
Dharmendra’s two daughters Vijeta Deol and Ajeeta Deol live a relatively private life with the latter residing abroad. Vijeta is married to Vivek Gill and has two children – one son Sahil Gill, and a daughter Prerna Gill. Ajeeta Deol is married to Dr. Kiran Chaudhri and has two children Dr. Nikita Mina, a doctor and Priyanka Chaudhri, who is settled in USA.
Children with Hema Malini
Dharmendra and Hema Malini share two daughters, and both of them have chartered slightly different paths.
Esha Deol: The actress started her career with Vinay Shukla’s Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe opposite Aftab Shivdasani and went on to do films like Dhoom and Yuva. However, after her marriage with Bharat Takhtani, she has retired from the film industry. The couple have two daughters together – Radhya Takhtani and Miraya Takhtani.
Ahana Deol: An Odissi dancer, she chose a life largely away from the limelight, focusing on family and classical arts. She is married to Vaibhav Vohra and has two twin daughters Astraia and Adea, and a son Darien Vohra.