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Mumbai: Bollywood icon Dharmendra is currently hospitalised in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after suffering from breathlessness. The veteran actor was admitted a week ago, and his health condition had left fans worried. On Tuesday morning, his daughter Esha Deol took to social media to assure everyone that her father is “stable and recovering.”

As fans continue to pray for his speedy recovery, many have also been reminiscing about the legendary actor’s journey especially his unforgettable love story with Hema Malini.

Dharmendra and Hema Malini’s love story and marriage

Their romance, which began on the film sets in the 1970s, remains one of Bollywood’s most talked-about love stories. At the time, Dharmendra was married to Prakash Kaur and had four children Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Vijeeta, and Ajeeta. However, his deep connection with Hema, the “Dream Girl” of Indian cinema, soon blossomed beyond the screen.

The two tied the knot in 1980, but their marriage stirred widespread controversy, with reports claiming that the couple allegedly converted to Islam to formalize their union since Dharmendra was still married. According to Indian Express, biographer Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s book Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl mentioned that the duo was rumoured to have taken the names Dilawar Khan and Ayesha Bi.

In 2004, during the Lok Sabha elections, rumours about Dharmendra’s alleged conversion to Islam resurfaced. The controversy reignited when Congress leaders pointed out that in his election affidavit, Dharmendra had declared only his first wife Prakash Kaur’s assets and made no mention of Hema Malini. Around the same time, Outlook magazine reportedly published a photocopy of his nikahnama (Islamic marriage document) with Hema, adding fuel to the speculation.

A report by Hindustan Times from 2004 also stated that Congress leaders had submitted the Nikah nama and other documents in an Indore court, accusing Dharmendra, then a BJP candidate from Bikaner of bigamy. They claimed that Dharmendra and Hema Malini had converted to Islam, adopting the names Dilawar Khan and Ayesha, to legally solemnize their marriage since a second marriage is not permitted under Hindu law.

However, both Dharmendra and Hema later dismissed such claims.

When asked about the debates, Hema Malini gracefully said in of her interviews, “This is extremely personal between us. Nobody else should bother about this.”

Reportedly, Dharmendra also spoke out against the conversion claims. In an interview with Outlook magazine in 2004, he firmly said, “This allegation is totally incorrect. I am not the kind of man who will change his religion to suit his interests.”

Despite decades of speculation and scrutiny, Dharmendra and Hema Malini continued to remain of the most loved couple of Bollywood.

As the veteran star continues to recover, fans across generations are sending prayers and remembering not just the actor, but the man whose real-life romance became a part of Bollywood’s golden legacy.