Esha Deol Names Dharmendra Bollywood’s Ideal Husband

When Esha Deol was asked at the Pratap trailer launch to pick Bollywood’s perfect husband, she did not name a co-star or a screen idol. She looked homeward. Her answer was her late father, Dharmendra.

Speaking about family and partnership, Esha said the parents and children we are given by God are one kind of family, while a husband becomes family whether the match is chosen or arranged. Within that circle, she said, she had closely seen only her father in the roles of husband and father.

“Maine kareebi se sirf papa ko dekha hai as a father and husband so I would say Dharam ji.”

Her reply, reported by The Times of India, turned a promotional question into a small, personal moment at a time when she is back in the spotlight for Pratap.

A family story as much as a filmi one

Dharmendra’s personal life has long been part of Bollywood lore. He married Prakash Kaur in 1954, before he entered the film industry, and they had four children: actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, and daughters Vijeta and Ajeeta, who have mostly stayed away from the limelight.

He later fell in love with Hema Malini, his co-star in the 1970 film Tum Haseen Main Jawaan, and they went on to become a beloved on-screen pairing in Sholay, Seeta Aur Geeta and Dream Girl. The two married in 1980 while he remained married to Prakash Kaur. Esha and her sister Ahana are his daughters with Hema.

Dharmendra died at 89 on November 24, 2025, at his Mumbai residence, just weeks before he would have turned 90. He had been hospitalised in Mumbai in October after breathlessness and was discharged on November 12 to continue treatment at home.

Esha’s return with Pratap

The comment came as Esha promotes her upcoming theatrical release Pratap. Directed by Sachin Saraf, the film features Amit Sadh, Seema Biswas, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Milind Gunaji, among others. The story follows a decorated encounter specialist who is imprisoned on a murder charge; his search for answers reveals that the arrest is tied to an act of retribution from his past.

Produced by Pradeep Raghwani and presented by UV Films, Pratap is scheduled to hit theatres on November 20.

Why this lands for fans

For Hindi film fans, the private lives of film families are part of the story. Esha’s answer is a reminder that the characters we see on screen often come from real, complicated histories, and that a promotional interview can still carry genuine affection.

• It links the film’s theme of standing by family to Esha’s own life.
• It gives audiences a reason to revisit Dharmendra’s classic pairings with Hema Malini.
• It turns a red-carpet question into an honest, unhurried answer about the people who shaped her.

Source: The Times of India