When Hema Malini Revealed Dharmendra Was 'Uncomfortable' With Esha Doing Films: 'If Brothers Can...'

Hema Malini had once revealed that Dharmendra was not okay with Esha Deol exploring a career in acting. For the unversed, Esha made her Bollywood debut with Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe in 2002. She starred along side Aftab Shivdasani, with Sanjay Kapoor, Jaya Bachchan and Anupam Kher. While Esha went on to do more movies, Hema admitted on an episode of Koffee With Karan seaosn 2 that Dharmendra stayed out of her career because he didn’t want Esha to work in the film industry.

When Karan Johar asked Hema Malini if Dharmendra gives any inputs with regard to Esha’s career, the legendary actress said that he keeps himself away. “He was not keen on coming into films. He’s still not very comfortable with her working. But she took a decision so as a mother, I had to support her. Because I have brought her up in a different way, given her all the culture, the way she has to be brought up and she wanted to work in films,” Hema Malini said.

“She asked me the question: ‘If you can work in films, papa can work, brothers are working in films, why do you say that it is not good?’ He could not answer anything so he had to keep quiet and she started working,” Hema said.

Esha went on to star in Na Tum Jaano Na Hum (2002), Yuva (2004), Dhoom (2004), Dus (2005), Cash (2007), One Two Three (2008) and Tell Me O Kkhuda (2011) which was directed by Hema Malini. She distanced herself from acting after the film, starring only a handful projects. She made her acting comeback with Rudra: The Edge of Darkness (2022).

Esha recently made the headlines for hosting the special screening of Gadar 2 for her stepbrothers Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. They came together in front of the cameras for the first time and videos of the same went viral.