Veteran actor Dharmendra has passed away at the age of 89 in Mumbai. The news comes amid growing concerns about his health and well-being. During this challenging time, Hema Malini, Bobby Deol, Esha Deol, and other family members mourn the loss of He-Man. Meanwhile, his married life has often been in the spotlight, though his first wife, Prakash Kaur, has chosen to remain away from the limelight. As the era of the legend comes to an end, we take a look back at his love story with Prakash Kaur.
Updated On: 2025-11-24 02:30 PM IST
Compiled by : Aakruti Bagla
Bollywood's veteran actor, Dharmendra is famous for his iconic films and his controversial personal life. While everyone knows that the angry young man of the '70s was head-over-heels in love with Hema Malini, not many know about his first wife, Prakash Kaur.
Dharmendra and his first wife, Prakash Kaur, got married in 1954. They met in an arranged marriage setup, when the actor was only 19 years old. At that time, he had not yet entered the world of Hindi cinema.
Despite being the wife of a Bollywood superstar and mother to celebrities, Prakash Kaur has always stayed away from public attention and media, preferring a quiet and private life.
When Dharmendra marked his acting debut in 1960, he was married to Prakash Kaur and was already a father of a son, Sunny Deol. The couple later welcomed Bobby, and daughters Vijeeta and Ajeeta.
While Sunny and Bobby followed their father's footsteps into acting, their sisters have led private lives. One is a psychologist and the other is a director, currently residing in California.
However, Prakash and Dharmendra’s married life hit rock bottom when the actor fell in love with dream girl of Bollywood, Hema Malini.
Dharmendra and Hema Malini first crossed paths on the set of the film Tum Haseen Main Jawan in 1970. Soon their friendship blossomed into love.
Their love story did not follow the conventional path. At the time when they fell in love, Dharmendra was already married to his first wife, Prakash Kaur.
When Prakash got to know about their affair, she refused to divorce Dharmendra. Reports also suggest that Dharmendra converted to Islam before their marriage in 1980, a step taken to legally solemnise the bond.
They later welcomed daughters Esha and Ahana. In her memoir, Hema Malini talked about her bond with Prakash Kaur. She said, “I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I am happy with whatever Dharamji did for me and my daughters. He played the role of a father, like any father would do. Though I have never spoken about Prakash, I respect her a lot."
In an old interview with Stardust, Prakash Kaur had reacted to Dharam Ji’s marriage with Hema Malini and remarked that while her husband might not be perfect, he was "certainly the best father."
She also acknowledged Hema Malini's beauty and charm that could attract any man in Dharmendra's position. She also called out the double standards of critics, questioning how Dharmendra could be labelled a "womaniser" when similar behaviour was common in the film industry.
