Dharmendra's personal life has always been a subject of public interest, particularly his relationships with his two wives, Prakash Kaur and Hema Malini. Dharmendra married Prakash Kaur in 1954, long before he achieved stardom. Together, they had four children: Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Ajeeta Deol, and Vijeta Deol. Later, he fell in love with Hema Malini, and they married in 1980 without him divorcing Prakash. Dharmendra and Hema Malini have two daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.
Despite the complexities of his marital life, those close to the family have maintained that mutual goodwill has always existed between the two branches of the family. Speculation about a coldness between the families led by Prakash Kaur and Hema Malini has been widely circulated in the media.
In a biography titled Dharmendra: Not Just a He-Man, written by Rajiv Vijayakar, it is mentioned that Prakash Kaur was involved in searching for a suitable groom for Esha Deol before her marriage to Bharat Takhtani in 2012. According to the book, Dharmendra once told the biographer, "Prakash is also looking for a suitable groom for Esha". This demonstrates a level of care and concern from Prakash towards Hema Malini's daughters.
Esha Deol herself has spoken about her relationship with both her parents. She learned about Dharmendra's first marriage when she was in Class 4. A classmate asked her if she had two mothers, which led Hema Malini to explain the family dynamic to her daughters. Esha stated that she never felt bad about it and credits her parents for ensuring she and her sister never felt uncomfortable. She also mentioned that she realized the importance of fathers in families after visiting her friends' houses, as she primarily grew up with her mother.
Furthermore, Esha met Prakash Kaur only once, arranged by Sunny Deol, when she visited Dharmendra's family home to see her uncle, Dharmendra's brother, who was ill. Esha shared that she touched Prakash's feet, and Prakash blessed her.
Hema Malini has also expressed respect for Prakash Kaur. In her biography, she stated that she respects Prakash a lot and that her daughters also respect Dharmendra's family. She also addressed misconceptions about her marriage, clarifying that she did not spend her life waiting for Dharmendra. Hema Malini revealed that she never met Prakash Kaur after her wedding because she didn't want to disturb her. She said she was happy with whatever Dharmendra did for her and her daughters and that he played the role of a father.
Dharmendra's ancestral land in Punjab was left to his cousins and their sons, who had been taking care of it for decades. According to reports, in 2015, he gifted the land to his nephews as they had been maintaining it.
