One of the most popular and legendary actors in Bollywood, Dharmendra, needs no introduction. The actor started his acting journey with a small role in a film, and later on, he received massive success with movies, Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Kaajal, and Phool Aur Patthar among others. Back in 2023, Dharmendra acted in Karan Johar's movie, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, wherein his steamy kissing scene with Shabana Azmi garnered a lot of attention. However, the actor was recently seen in Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon-starrer, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya.
Soon after the movie, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya was released in theatres; some reports stated that the veteran actor, Dharmendra had changed his name after being in Bollywood for 64 years. Some development came to notice as in the movie, Dharmendra's character of 'Dada' was credited under the name of 'Dharmendra Singh Deol', which was visualised during the prelude of the cinema. As per a report by the Hindustan Times, Dharmendra, who was born in Punjab, was named Dharam Singh Deol. However, after joining Bollywood, he chose to omit his middle and last names, thereby keeping it only as Dharmendra. However, the veteran actor has recently reacted to the same reports.
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In an interview with Zoom, Dharmendra talked about the reports about him changing his name after 64 years of being in Bollywood. The veteran actor said that he had always been a proud Deol. Citing an example of how proud he and his family members are of their family name, Dharmendra added that his sons, Sunny and Bobby, never removed their surnames from their names.
Sharing why he opted to change his name after all these years of being in Bollywood, Dharmendra added that when he stepped into Bollywood, actors preferred not to use their surnames often, like Dilip Kumar, Sanjay Khan, and Ashok Kumar, among others. He, on the other hand, preferred to be known as Dharmendra. Stating that it's never too late to do anything in life, Dharmendra shared:
"I was always a proud Deol. The surname was always a part of our family. If you see, my sons Sunny and Bobby have always put out their full names. When I came into the film industry, actors avoided surnames: Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Sanjay Khan, Biswajeet, Sanjay (Sanjay Khan)…I also preferred to be known as just Dharmendra. It is never too late to do anything in life."
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A few months back, Dharmendra attended a press conference, wherein he was asked about the constant talk about his kissing scene with Shabana Azmi. The actor mentioned that he has been getting constant messages and calls from people. Reacting to the same, Dharmendra stated that it was his 'daayein haath ka khel'.
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Just like his professional life, Dharmendra's personal life had always been a topic of discussion back in his days. For those who don't know, the legendary actor first got married to Prakash Kaur in 1954, with whom he has four children, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Vijeta, and Ajeita. However, it was in 1980, when Dharmendra got married to Hema Malini, and they are parents to two girls, Esha and Ahana Deol. For those who don't know, Dharmendra's first wife, Prakash didn't agree to divorce the actor, which is why he reportedly converted to Islam before marrying Hema Malini, and later, he tied the knot with the actress.
What are your views on Dharmendra's reaction to his name change? Let us know!
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