Dharmendra barged into Hema Malini-Jeetendra wedding, got yelled at by her father: ‘You are a married man, get out of my daughter’s life’

Jaya, who had a strong hold over her daughter’s life, convinced hema Malini to meet Jeetendra’s parents in 1974. They liked the actor, and hema Malini and Jeetendra’s family were off to Madras for their wedding. Jeetendra’s close friend shared in Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s, Beyond The Dream Girl that the actor never wanted to marry Hema Malini as he knew she was in love with Dharmendra. He told his friend, “I don’t want to marry Hema. I am not in love with her. She is not in love with me. But my family wants it, so I might as well. And she is such a good girl.”

Though full secrecy was being maintained around the wedding arrangements, a news magazine got the details of the upcoming nuptials. Then came the big reveal story. The two people who bore the brunt of what the news magazine had revealed were Dharmendra and Jeetendra’s then-girlfriend, Shobha Sippy. The two immediately got on a flight to Madras and what followed was what would account for a perfect climax to a romantic drama — the hero’s clash with the father of the would-be bride.

An excerpt from Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl, reveals that on seeing Dharmendra at his doorstep, Malini’s father V.S. Ramanujam Chakravarthy repeatedly yelled at the actor, “Why don’t you get out of my daughter’s life? You are a married man, you can’t marry my daughter.” But it was impossible to turn away a madly-in-love Dharmendra. He eventually ended up in Hema Malini’s room, ‘begging’ her not do the ‘mistake’ of marrying Jeetendra.

After a few hours, Hema Malini stepped out of her room and asked her and Jeetendra’s family to give her some time. But Jeetendra’s family gave her the ultimatum and eventually left the wedding venue in a huff. But Dharmendra didn’t marry Hema Malini on the same day. He just grew insecure in the relationship and started imposing restrictions on his ladylove. As per Malini’s biography, Dharmendra even took to alcohol to fight his paranoia. And, his this “possessiveness” made the Dream Girl of Bollywood feel “suffocated”. So, she returned to doing films with Jeetendra against Dharmendra’s wish. Once again he got insecure and this time promised Malini that he would mend his ways. Finally, he married her on May 2, 1980.

Hema Malini said she decided to be with Dharmendra over everyone else who loved her and was in awe of her because he made her “happy”. For her, it was an “ordinary” relationship and all she wanted was “happiness.” She was wooed by his “simplicity” and “sincerity” and didn’t mind him never complimenting her or saying anything that lovers say.

“That way he is exactly like my mother. He doesn’t ever praise me. I am told that he praises me to people behind my back, but not to my face. He would always say, “You are okay!” Just like my mother. Who knows, it was probably these familiar traits, ‘Do this … don’t do that’ that got me hooked to him’”, Malini shared with Mukherjee.

However, even years after their marriage, Hema Malini finds it unfair to be called out for marrying an already-married man. She said, “Time and again, I have been referred to as the “first lady of second marriages”. I don’t like it. It’s not fair. Maybe I was the first one of my generation, yes, but I cannot be held responsible for others. It all comes down to circumstances.”

Now, Hema Malini and Dharmendra, parents to two daughters, Esha and Ahana, live separately. But they do hold great regard for each other. The Baghban star told Lehren Retro, “I am not feeling bad about it, or sulking about it. I am happy with myself. I have my two children, and I have brought them up very well.”