Esha Deol's most candid interview on Hema Malini: 'God has blessed me with a very precious lady as a mother'

Time of India

11-05-2025

Growing up in the spotlight as the daughter of two of Indian cinema's biggest legends, Hema Malini and Dharmendra, Esha Deol has always carried herself with grace and groundedness. But behind the star persona lies a deeply personal bond—one rooted in admiration, love, and unwavering respect. In this exclusive interview, Esha opens up like never before about
life with Hema Malini
as her mother.
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Esha Deol on what it is like to have Hema Malini - 'The Dream Girl' of Bollywood as mother
'You know, what I feel, I am blessed, and God has blessed me with a very precious lady as a mother, and it is my responsibility to always be there for her, look after her, and do the best for her as a daughter, and I enjoy doing it. It's an absolute pleasure being her daughter,' said Esha in her candid conversation with us.
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Living with the superstar
Esha Deol shared how she, from a very young age knew that her parents were the superstars, and it came with a couple of perks. From a very tender age, she was a frequent at the film sets, accompanying her parents. She knew about words like producers, directors, action, cut, even before she could speak properly. Recalling those days, Esha said, 'She (Hema Malini) was a star at a very young age. I mean, when I was a baby, I would go on shoots and I didn't understand much, but I knew that this was her work and I would accompany her.'
She continued, 'That's something I realized a little over the years in school when people started. You know, other kids, very cutely, they would say, 'Oh, you know, your mom is a big actor, your father is a big actor.' And their parents would mollycoddle me. And that's when I realized that my parents are superstars, legends, and have many, many, plenty of amazing films.'
Further, she confessed falling in love with her mother's work. She shared, 'I was very young when I started watching her movies. 'Seeta Aur Geeta' was a favorite. We had these VHS cassettes, and in my mother's bedroom, she had a library of all her films. So I would regularly sit and watch one film every day, you know, literally.'
Further, being a public figure isn't easy. The title demands more than what meets the eye. Juggling multiple projects and raising two daughters would have not been an easy task. And sharing a mother's time would have been equally difficult for the daughter. Speaking about the same, Esha shared, 'I was very proud of my mom and all her achievements and all her hard work, whether it's through dance or films. It was only difficult seeing her initially with other heroes in her films, where her costar was not my father. So I was a little possessive about her. I used to just see her films with my father initially.'
Hema Malini as a grandmother
Today, Hema Malini is not just a mother but a grandmother as well, and according to Esha's confession, she is acing this role! 'She's a wonderful grandmother. Very, very lenient, very, very, you know, spoils the grandchildren, literally,' said Esha.
'My grandmom was different. She was more strict, more, vigilant about our whereabouts and everything. My mom is a bit chilled out. The kids enjoy time with their grandmom. And I would say she's doing a great job as a grandmother,' she concluded.
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