Dharmendra’s Two Wives and Six Kids Property Drama: Supreme Court Drops a Major Bombshell

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Dharmendra's health condition remains critical. He has been discharged from Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital for treatment at home. Meanwhile, discussions have intensified regarding his property and his share in the inheritance of his family members. Dharmendra was married twice—first to Prakash Kaur and second to Hema Malini. Since the second marriage is not considered valid under the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA), questions arise about how his property will be divided and what rights the children born from both marriages will have. Rights of Children Born from Voidable Marriages Advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, citing a recent Supreme Court decision (Revanasiddappa v. Mallikarjun, 2023), explained that the inheritance rights of children born from void or annulable marriages have become clear. Legendary Actor Dharmendra Discharged from Hospital, Recovery Continues at Home Dharmendra's daughters, Esha Dev and Ahana Dev, fall under this category. The Supreme Court determined that such children are also entitled to a share in their parents' property. Esha and Ahana's Rights Dharmendra's second marriage to Hema Malini is considered invalid under the HMA. However, under Section 16(1) of the HMA, Dharmendra's two daughters are considered legitimate children. This means that their rights are limited to their parents' property. [caption id="attachment_170784" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] The Many Faces of Dharmendra: From Action Hero to Romantic Icon[/caption] They do not automatically have coparcenary rights to their father's Hindu Joint Family (HJF) share, but only to their individual and ancestral share. Property Division Method The Supreme Court clarified that the ancestral property will be divided notionally. Dharmendra's share will be distributed among all his Class-1 heirs. This will include his first wife, Prakash Kaur; his mother (if alive); and his children from his first marriage—Sunny, Bobby, Vijeta, and Ajita—as well as his daughters, Esha and Ahana, from his second marriage. The Many Faces of Dharmendra: Action Hero, Romantic Icon & Comic Genius of Indian Cinema The Supreme Court's decision has put an end to a long-standing dispute. Children born from an invalid marriage also have equal rights in their father's property. Although they do not receive coparcenary rights, they are entitled to a share in their father's self-acquired and ancestral property. This judicial interpretation has brought clarity to family and property disputes.