At the trailer launch of her upcoming film Pratap, Esha Deol gave a moment fans will be replaying. Asked who she considered the perfect husband in Bollywood, she did not name a romantic co-star or a classic screen icon. She named her father, the late Dharmendra.
Her reasoning was simple and personal. Esha said she had only seen one man closely in the roles of both father and husband: her own. “Maine kareebi se sirf papa ko dekha hai as a father and husband so I would say Dharam ji,” she said at the event — meaning she had closely observed only her father in those roles.
A family story with two chapters
Dharmendra’s family has long been part of Bollywood lore. He married Prakash Kaur in 1954, before his film debut, and they had four children: actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, and daughters Vijeta and Ajeeta. He later married actor Hema Malini in 1980, after they met on the 1970 film Tum Haseen Main Jawaan, and they had daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Dharmendra remained married to Prakash Kaur.
That blended family history made Esha’s answer more than a promotional soundbite. Her father died on November 24, 2025, at 89, weeks before his 90th birthday. He had been hospitalised in Mumbai in October 2025 after breathlessness and was discharged on November 12 to continue treatment at home.
Support as the real message
The question Esha was answering was about how a wife supports her husband through difficult times. Her response widened into a point about family itself. “I believe that whatever ups and downs there are in life, it is important to support each other,” she said. She described the family we are born into as a blessing, and the partners people choose — or have chosen for them — as part of that same circle.
For the audience, the moment works because it is both a tribute and a reminder of why the Deol family stays in the public conversation. Esha’s Pratap press event became a chance to talk about loyalty, loss and legacy, not just a release date.
What we know about Pratap
Esha is making her theatrical comeback with Pratap, directed by Sachin Saraf. The film follows a decorated encounter specialist who is imprisoned for murder, then goes on a journey of self-discovery that reveals his arrest is retribution linked to his past.
- Co-stars: Amit Sadh, Seema Biswas, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Milind Gunaji
- Backed by: Pradeep Raghwani
- Presented by: UV Films
- Release: November 20
For now, the headline is not only the film itself but the warmth Esha brought to its launch. She turned a routine question into a family tribute, and that is exactly the kind of moment celebrity-watchers will remember when the film arrives.
Source: Hindustan Times
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