Monday, November 24, was indeed a very sad day for millions of Bollywood fans, especially those of veteran superstar Dharmendra. After several trips to the hospital – especially in he last few months, and a death hoax earlier two weeks ago, the ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani’ actor passed away at his Mumbai residence. The He-Man of Bollywood’s final rites took place yesterday, and saw several fraternity members in attendance alongside his family.
As we continue to mourn the loss of a talent that entertained us for 65 years – and will once more when his last film, Ikkis, releases posthumously on December 25, we bring you an anecdote of the actor that shows how good a father he was to all his 6 kids.
Bobby Deol: Papa (Dharmendra) Would Never Let Us Go To Star Kids’ Birthdays
During a conversation with Instant Bollywood in April 2025, Bobby Deol opened up about Dharmendra not permitting him and Sunny to attend star kids’ birthday bashes. The ‘Animal’ actor said, “Whenever there was a star kid’s birthday, Papa would never let us go. I tell him now that you shouldn’t have done that. But at that time, I felt it was a big deal. But then it became a habit and I didn’t think too much of it. Papa never wanted us to mingle with the film industry because film industry bahut banawati hai. Toh wo chahte the ki humey banawatipan se door rakhe.”
Bobby Deol continued, “We never had an environment like the film industry. We had a simple household. We’d never have parties at home or talk about films. We lived like normal people. We were never influenced by the film industry. I just witnessed that my father got a lot of love. Whether I’d go on a set or see people crowd up outside home, I’d always be surprised by that phenomenon. Why is my father getting so much love?”
Dharam Ji Kids & Their Bollywood Careers
Despite Dharam Ji keeping his kids away from the film industry during their formative years, three of his six children went on to become leading Bollywood stars. Sunny Deol made his acting debut in 1983 with Betaab. Ghayal, Damini, Darr, Ghatak, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Apne and Border are some of his most popular films.
Bobby Deol, who appeared as a child actor in Dharmendra’s Dharam Veer, stepped into Bollywood as la eading man in 1995 with Barsaat. Some of his most popular films include Gupt, Soldier, Badal, Bichhoo, Ajnabee, Humraaz and Animal. He has also made a name for himself in the OTT world with shows such as Class of ’83, Aashram and the most recent Ba***ds of Bollywood. Esha Deol – who entered film in 2002- is known for films such as Dhoom, Dus, Kaal and No Entry. After a sabbatical of many years, following her marriage in 2012 and the birth of her children, Esha returned to acting in 2022 with the Rudra: The Edge of Darkness.
About Dharmendra
Dharam Ji was born on December 8, 1935 in Nasrali, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, India). He passed away in November 2025 at age 89. In an impressive career spanning 65 years, the veteran superstar featured in over 250 films. He was even honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2012. Active till the very end, the actor’s posthumous release will be Ikkis – a war drama based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal. This morning his look from the film was unveiled.
On the personal front, Dharam ji is survived by his 2 wives – Prakash Kaur, whom he married in 1954 and actress Hema Malini, whom he married in 1980, his 6 children – Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Vijeta, Ajeeta, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol and 13 grandchildren, including Karan, Rajveer and Dharam.
May his soul rest in peace.
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Also Read: When Dharmendra Called Salman Khan His Third Son And Revealed Why He Was Most Like Him
The post DYK, Dharmendra Forbade Sunny, Bobby From Attending Star Kids’ Birthday Parties? A Deol Brother Once Revealed, “Papa Never Wanted Us To Mingle With The Film Industry” appeared first on Bollywood Bubble.
