‘Unlike Bobby, Sunny could never…’
Dharmendra openly admitted his fondness for alcohol, but was always aware that his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol were never comfortable with his drinking habits.
With Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol
Dharmendra passed away in Mumbai on Monday, November 24, at the age of 89. He is survived by his two wives, Prakash Kaur and Hema Malini, and six children named Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Ajeeta Deol, Vijayta Deol, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Many Bollywood celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Saira Banu and others attended his funeral at Pawan Hans Crematorium in Juhu.
Referred to as the ‘He-Man’ of Bollywood, Dharmendra was known for his vibrant lifestyle, which included lots of alcoholic drinks. The veteran actor has openly admitted his fondness for alcohol, but was always aware that his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol were never comfortable with his drinking habits. In 1983, before the release of Sunny’s first film Betaab, Dharmendra stated that he felt “very guilty” when he drank alcohol in front of his sons.
Speaking to Cineblitz, the Sholay star said: “Suny saw me getting drunk and I remember how hurt she used to look. Unlike Bobby, who would come up to me and say, ‘Dad, don’t do this, don’t do that’. Sunny could never say things like that to me. But the hurt look on her face when I poured a drink made me feel so guilty. She saw that drinking doesn’t do you any good.”
In the same interview, Dharmendra stated that Sunny would never have a relationship. “He also knows that relationships do no one any good. They only interfere with your work. That’s why Sunny will stay away from them.” A year after his debut, Sunny married Pooja Deol in a hush-hush ceremony in London. For the development of her career, their marriage was kept secret until a London-based magazine published pictures from their wedding.
There were strong rumors in the 1990s that Sunny Deol was in a relationship with Dimple Kapadia. Dimple had married superstar Rajesh Khanna in 1973. They never divorced each other; They separated in 1982 but remained legally married until Khanna’s death in 2012. A 2017 viral video of Sunny and Dimple holding hands in London sparked speculation that their relationship was ongoing.
READ | Did Dharmendra convert to Islam to marry Hema Malini without divorcing Prakash Kaur? When the 89-year-old superstar broke his silence on such news
