How Dharmendra prevented Hema from marrying Jeetendra

By Nichola

on January 21, 2018

Tum Haseen Main Jawan… with a title like that, it wasn’t surprising that Hema and Dharmendra fell madly in love when they filmed this love caper in 1970. Yes, despite the fact that he was married to Prakash Kaur, and had two sons, Sunny and Bobby. And despite the fact that she was guarded possessively by her mother Jaya Chakravarthy, who kept an eagle eye on her at all times.

However, realising she was fast losing her daughter to her oh-so-handsome beau, Mrs Chakravarthy devised a plan: to marry off Hema to the far more eligible Jeetendra. The actor reportedly already had a soft spot for his leading lady of two films; Dulhan (1974) and Khushboo (1975). However, since he was ‘friend-zoned’, to use a term that didn’t exist then, by Hema, he ended up becoming her confidante, and she, his.

Like a proper possessive boyfriend, Dharmendra thoroughly resented this friendship. In fact, always more than a tad wary of Jeetu’s intentions, he had once barged onto the sets of a Hema-Jeetendra film and dragged off his girl to her make-up room. The two men were never quite okay with each other after that…

As luck would have it, it was the very same man that Hema’s mother was plotting her wedding with. Mama Chakravarthy did her utmost to convince Hema to agree. Dharam was, after all, a married man who was devoted to his children. Giving in to the constant persuasion, Hema once agreed to meet Jeetendra’s parents. Both parties were thrilled. Jeetendra too was reportedly willing to go along with his parents’ choice. Knowing well they couldn’t risk this news going public, it was decided that the wedding would be kept a secret. The couple and their parents flew to Madras for the ceremony. Unfortunately for them, news of the wedding plans broke, when an evening newspaper splashed the scoop in its pages.

As expected, all hell broke loose. A stunned Dharmendra realised he had to take matters into his hands. He promptly made contact with Shobha Sippy, Jeetendra’s air hostess girlfriend, and the two rushed to Madras to stop their respective beloveds from being wed!

There was loads more drama in store as they walked in on the soon to be conducted wedding, with both parties present. Naturally, the reactions were extreme. Hema’s furious father had a meltdown. Berating Dharam for being a married man and still pursuing his daughter, he virtually pushed the strapping star out of his house. An emotional mess and also slightly intoxicated, all Dharam kept pleading for was a few minutes alone with his beloved. He was granted his wish.

[caption id="attachment_32957" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Dharmendra and Hema Malini in Sholay[/caption]

If there was melodrama ensuing behind the doors of the closed room as Dharam begged with Hema not to go ahead with her decision, there was equal commotion outside, as an enraged Shobha sailed into her boyfriend for ditching her so cruelly.

As both sets of parents and the registrar of the marriage bureau waited outside on tenterhooks, the minutes ticked by slowly, ominously… Finally, the bride-to-be emerged. She had obviously been crying her heart out. Her voice trembled as she opens her mouth to quietly ask if everyone could wait for a few days. The parents of the groom-to-be were furious. If the wedding had to happen, it had to happen now, they snapped. A beautiful, teary Hema silently shook her head. The wedding was off.

The SOS trip to Madras was a success. Hema went on to wed her Dharam, and Jeetu, his girlfriend Shobha. Both couples are happily married to this day.