Did Dharmendra convert to Islam to marry Hema Malini without divorcing first wife Prakash Kaur? Here's the truth

Dharmendra tied the knot for the first time with Prakash Kaur when he was just 19 yeard old in 1954. The couple shares four children - two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, and two daughters, Ajeita Deol and Vijeta Deol. Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol are also successful actors in Bollywood.

In 1980, Dharmendra had his second marriage with Hema Malini without giving a divorce to Prakash Kaur. This led to rumours that the two of them had converted to Islam and had a nikaah before getting married in a traditional Iyengar ceremony. Below is the photo from Dharmendra and Hema's marriage.

Putting an end to such rumours, Dharmendra told Outlook in 2004, "This allegation is totally incorrect. I am not the kind of man who will change his religion to suit his interests." The Raja Jani stars share two daughters - Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Esha hasn't had a remarkable career as an actress.

Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur reunited to celebrate the wedding of their grandson, Karan Deol - Sunny Deol's son - with Drisha Acharya, the great-granddaughter of late filmmaker Bimal Roy, in May 2023. Hema Malini and her daughters Esha and Ahana were notably absent from the festivities.

On the work front, Dharmendra will be seen next in Ikkis. The Sriram Raghavan directorial is based on the life of the late Param Vir Chakra recipient Arun Khetarpal. Agastya Nanda portrays the 1971 India-Pakistan war hero in the film, which is slated to release on October 2 on Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra.