Hema Malini opens up on rift with Dharmendra's first family: 'Don't believe everything created by AI'

At 77, Hema Malini talks about her reluctance to return to acting, focusing on family and memories of her late husband, Dharmendra. 

Published on: Aug 21, 2026, 13:01:35 IST

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Hema Malini was the reigning queen of Bollywood during the 1970s and early 1980s. The 77-year-old actor recently spoke about her plans to return to acting and why she thinks it is now difficult for her to face the camera. She also recalled memories of her late husband and veteran star Dharmendra and opened up about how she is coping with his loss.

Difficult to answer: Hema on acting comeback

Speaking to E Times, when Hema was asked if she would return to acting, she said, “It's difficult to answer that because I don't think about it anymore. I'm happy with whatever I'm doing. I spend time in my constituency, working for people, and then I'm at home with my children and grandchildren. They need me. I am also living with memories of Dharamji. That itself fills my life.”

'Never bothered about public scrutiny'

Hema recalled memories of Dharmendra and called him a 'wonderful soulmate'. She also recalled how he supported her in everything she did and even pushed her to continue with her dance. She also spoke about processing his loss and admitted that the grief never goes away and that she misses him a lot.

The actor also spoke about her and Dharmendra's marriage facing public scrutiny, as the late superstar was already married to Prakash Kaur when he tied the knot with Hema. Speaking about the same, she said, “We never bothered about any of that. We lived our lives according to us, not for people who wanted to criticise or judge us. We lived with true love. Right from the beginning, we knew we were meant for each other. Nobody could change that.”

On rift with Deol family

After Dharmendra's death, speculations of a rift between Hema Malini and Dharmendra's first family were rife. Hema addressed the claims and called them fabricated. She called them a 'very united family' and assured that they are all happy with each other. She also advised her fans not to ‘believe everything that is created through AI.’

About Dharmendra's families

Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur in 1954 and had four children with her — two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, and two daughters, Vijeta and Ajeeta. He later married actor Hema Malini in 1980, with whom he has two daughters — Esha Deol and Ahana Deol — while remaining legally married to Prakash Kaur.

It was reported that Hema Malini and her daughters were largely sidelined and absent from the official prayer meet and final rites organised by Dharmendra's first family after his death on November 24, 2025. Hema and her daughters also organised separate prayer meets for him.

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