When Hema Malini admitted her family opposed marriage with Dharmendra: 'I called him and said...'

Hema Malini in a 1999 appearance on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal spoke about her courtship period with Dharmendra, and the difficulties they ran into.

Hema Malini and Dharmendra's wedding caused 'quite a stir' in the industry, television host Simi Garewal said on her show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, with Hema as the featured guest. She asked the actor about the difficulties she must have faced for getting involved with Dharmendra, who was married at the time.

Hema Malini in an appearance on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.

Hema said in a 1999 appearance on the show that she never thought of marrying Dharmendra in all the years that they'd worked together, but certainly told herself that if she ever were to get married, it would be to 'somebody like him'.

"I never bothered in the beginning, not at all," Hema Malini said. "Anyone can say that he's a very good-looking man, doesn't mean you have to marry that person. So I continued working with him, but not at all with any intention that I'm going to marry this person. Somewhere I used to think, if at all I have to marry, I will marry somebody like him. Not him, definitely not. But it happened, so you can't help it."

Dharmendra had four children from his earlier marriage -- sons Sunny and Bobby Deol, and daughters Vijeta and Ajeita. With Hema, he had two more daughters, Esha and Ahana.