Dharmendra passed away at the age of 89 in Mumbai. He breathed his last on November 24. The veteran actor had been unwell for almost a month and even became a victim of false death rumours during his hospitalisation. Two weeks ago, his family dismissed the reports and brought him home for further treatment. However, on November 24, the Deol family was seen arriving with an ambulance at the Pawan Hans crematorium for the star’s last rites.
Dharmendra cremated as per Hindu rituals
Dharmendra was cremated according to Hindu rituals, once again bringing back old rumours of the veteran star’s alleged religious conversion. Back in the 1980s, when Dharmendra married actress Hema Malini, it was rumoured that he had converted to Islam so he could marry his co-star while still being married to his first wife, Prakash Kaur. Hindu marriage laws do not allow a second marriage without a divorce.
Dharmendra and Hema Malini’s love story
Their love story remains one of the most talked-about in Bollywood. Their romance began on film sets in the 1970s. At the time, Dharmendra was married to Prakash Kaur and had four children — Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Vijeeta, and Ajeeta. However, Dharmendra and Hema’s bond grew stronger as they worked together. They tied the knot in 1980, which further fuelled speculation that the couple had converted to Islam to legalise their union. According to Indian Express, biographer Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s book Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl mentions rumours that the duo briefly adopted the names Dilawar Khan and Ayesha Bi.
Hema and Dharmendra`s religion become talk of town
Later in 2004, during the Lok Sabha elections, rumours of Dharmendra’s conversion resurfaced. The Congress party pointed out that in his election affidavit, he mentioned only his first wife Prakash Kaur’s assets, with no mention of Hema Malini. Around the same time, Outlook magazine published photocopies of a nikahnama allegedly belonging to Dharmendra and Hema.
Reportedly, Congress leaders even submitted the nikahnama and other documents in an Indore court, accusing the actor of bigamy. Back then, Dharmendra was contesting elections from Bikaner on a BJP ticket.
However, both Dharmendra and Hema Malini have consistently dismissed claims of conversion. In a 2004 interview with Outlook, he said, “This allegation is totally incorrect. I am not the kind of man who will change his religion to suit his interests.”
Hema Malini chose not to comment on the matter, stating, “This is extremely personal between us. Nobody else should bother about this.”
