Hema Malini’s mother wanted the actress to marry this actor, not Dharmendra, Jeetendra it didn’t work out because.., he was..

In the dazzling world of Bollywood, there are many tales of celebrities that mesmerise millions, but what happens behind the scenes when the curtain falls is more than what meets the eye. Sometimes, behind the scenes is more intriguing than how the love stories pan out on screen. One such story was of a legendary Bollywood actress from the golden era, Hema Malini. Today, Hema Malini celebrates beautiful years of togetherness with superstar Dharmendra. However, only a few know that before Dharmendra, there was a man who was almost selected for Hema Malini, not by fate but by her mother.
This actor wasn’t Jeetendra or Dharmendra, but it was a famous actor and playwright, Girish Karnad. He was once the perfect husband candidate for Hema Malini, as judged by none other than her mother herself. His mother was impressed by Girish’s cultured personality, intellect, and powerful artistic presence. Hema’s mother had him in mind as the perfect son-in-law.

This lesser-known story emerged in a report in the 250th issue of the film magazine Mayapuri. As per the article, Hema’s mother was so much in awe of Girish Karnad that she went one step ahead, she directed a film named Rangdeep in which both Hema Malini and Girish Karnad were featured as main characters. The motive behind the film was not merely cinematic—it was personal. It was her quiet effort to get them near each other so that something serious might develop between the duo.

But then, Hema Malini was already falling in love with Dharmendra, who was married. Interestingly, Jaya Bhaduri, an actress, also had a film project that did not come through around the same time. Hema never showed romantic interest in Girish Karnad despite her mother’s schemes.

Hema’s romance took more dramatic turns. She was engaged for a brief while to actor Jeetendra, and the wedding was almost set. But, in a traditional Bollywood-turn-of-events move, Dharmendra stepped in on the day of the engagement. He revealed his love for Hema, and she picked him over Jeetendra. Eventually, after persuading her family, Hema Malini married Dharmendra in 1980.

Meanwhile, Girish Karnad continued with his life and career. In 1981, he got married to Saraswathi Ganapathy. By this time, he was already a well-established name in Kannada as well as Hindi cinema. He acted in and wrote screenplays for strong films such as Utsav, Nishant, Manthan, Iqbal, Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai, Dor, and many more. He even made a notable appearance in the popular Doordarshan show Malgudi Days.

Born on 19th May 1938 in Maharashtra, Girish Karnad led a highly productive career in theatre and cinema, emerging as a cultural icon. He died in 2019 and left behind an unrivaled legacy of storytelling and intellect.

Even though Hema and Dharmendra are one of Bollywood’s favorite couples, this forgotten remembrance of Girish Karnad shows us how family, fate, and individual decisions frequently produce the most surprising histories—ones we hardly ever get to see on the big screen.

Not Dharmendra, not Jeetendra, this was the actor who was almost selected as Hema Malini’s husband by her mother, it didn’t work out because.., he was..

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