When Dharmendra won over Hema Malini’s heart despite her doubts: ‘Magazines were full of stories of my affair’

Dharmendra and Hema Malini, the golden couple of Bollywood, have one of the most iconic love stories in Indian cinema. Their chemistry lit up the big screen, but their real-life romance turned out to be even more dramatic, emotional and lasting than any film they starred in. From sharing frames in blockbuster hits to building a life together away from the spotlight, their journey has been filled with love, laughter and loyalty. For more than five decades, they have stood by each other through every high and low, proving that some love stories never fade. But while their bond may look picture-perfect today, Hema once confessed that she had never imagined marrying the industry’s ‘He-Man’. The Dream Girl herself once doubted if their friendship could ever turn into love.

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When Hema Malini recalled friendship turning into love

In her biography ‘Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl’ by Ram Kamal Mukherjee, the actress revealed a few deeply personal moments from her life. Though both Hema Malini and Dharmendra rarely open up about their relationship, she shared how she gradually fell in love with the macho Veeru of ‘Sholay’.




As quoted by The Quint, the 'Seeta Aur Geeta' actress recalled, “The truth was that I didn’t know what I wanted. I knew that I was attracted to him (Dharmendra) but the relationship had no future. In the beginning, we were just good friends. I enjoyed his company. We were paired opposite each other in so many films … there came a time when we were shooting together not just for days or weeks but for months. Soon, it became a habit to be with each other all the time… As time passed, it became more and more impossible to describe what I felt for him, or better still define the relationship. To be honest, I never thought of marrying him. My only argument is that I didn’t fall in love consciously. It’s funny, but I always used to think that whenever I marry, it would be with someone like him. I never thought of it being him, though. It’s destiny and my fortune.”

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Hema Malini talked about media gossip pressure

The 'Baghban' actress also opened up about how rumours around their relationship created tension at home. She said, “The magazines were full of stories of my affair. Journalists were writing something or the other all the time that rocked the peace at home and led to mounting tension. At that point in time I stopped entertaining film journalists as things were getting worse. My father, suddenly panic-stricken, began summoning astrologers and pundits. He wanted to know what was in my kundali. The delay in my marriage began to worry him, and this tension made him accompany me for my shootings, something which he had never done in his life.”

She went on to share a memory from the 1975 outdoor shoot of Ramanand Sagar’s ‘Charas’ (1976).

She explained, “In 1975, during the outdoor shooting of Ramanand Sagar’s Charas (1976), we were to be in Malta for weeks. And since I was to be shooting with him (Dharmendra), my father insisted on coming along with me. Often, the cast and crew had to travel together in a car. My father was not happy with this at all. He would order me in Tamil – so that Dharam-ji would not understand what he was saying – to sit in one corner while he would try and sit in the middle. But Dharam-ji would make up some clever excuse or the other to get in from my side, so that I would end up sitting in the middle and he would be beside me!”

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Hema Malini on her father’s concern during shoots

The 'Johnny Mera Naam' actress remembered how her father was uncomfortable only because of his concern for her. She revealed, “Today we can laugh over it, but at that time it wasn’t funny. Strangely, my father had no problems with Dharam-ji other than the one related to me. In fact, they got along so well whenever I wasn’t around. They would always be laughing and I would want to freeze the moment. If only they could be like that forever.”

Hema Malini admits she couldn’t stay away from Dharmendra

Hema admitted how she found it difficult to stay away from him, “Everyone in my family adored him … just not as a prospective son-in-law. It’s difficult for me to describe what I went through in those days. I liked him – I couldn’t deny that he was attractive and strong and there was an air of serenity about him. I tried turning away from him. But I couldn’t. There was something inherently good about him.”

Then came the moment that changed everything

She revealed, “One day, while we were shooting, he suddenly asked me if I loved him. I began to blush and replied indirectly, ‘I will only marry the person I love.’ That was my only answer…”

Hema Malini and Dharmendra's love story

These moments from Hema Malini’s life show that her love story with Dharmendra wasn’t a fairytale that began overnight. It was a connection that slowly built over years of working together, sharing laughter and facing challenges. What began as a friendship on film sets became one of Indian cinema’s most beautiful love stories.

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