Esha Deol, daughter of actor couple Dharmendra and Hema Malini, made her acting debut in 2002 with ‘Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe’. While many assume her journey was easy due to her famous lineage, Esha revealed that it was far from smooth sailing.
Esha Deol shared that her father, Dharmendra, initially wanted her to marry at 18 rather than pursue a career in films.
Coming from a traditional Punjabi background, he was not in favour of her acting. "He didn’t want me to enter films," she explained. "He wanted me to settle down early, as that was his upbringing. The women in his family were raised that way." However, Esha found inspiration in her mother Hema Malini’s successful acting and dancing career, which shaped her desire to follow a similar path.
Esha Deol revealed it took a long time to convince her father, Dharmendra, that she wanted a career instead of getting married. "It wasn’t easy, but today is a different story," she said. Despite drawing inspiration from her mother, Hema Malini, Esha admitted she wasn't prepared for the inevitable comparisons to her. She recalled feeling uncomfortable with the constant comparisons, with Hema advising her to ignore them, even telling her, "You're in the wrong profession if you care."
