Hema Malini Shares Dharmendra Didn't Want Her To 'Contest Elections', Vinod Khanna Taught Her To Give A Speech

Hema Malini, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election under the BJP for the third time, recently opened up about her husband Dharmendra, disapproving of her decision to join politics.

Hema Malini shares husband Dharmendra disapproved of her decision to join politics. ( Image Source :Hema Malini/Instagram. )

New Delhi: Hema Malini, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election under the Bharatiya Janata Party for the third time, recently opened up about her husband Dharmendra, disapproving of her decision to join politics. The veteran actress shared that Dharmendra was concerned about her safety and hence, he did not want her to join politics. She also talked about late actor Vinod Khanna, reminiscing his early mentorship in politics and its influence on her own political career.

Hema Malini talks about Dharmendra disapproving of her decision to join politics

In an interview with News 18, Hema Malini talked about her husband Dharmendra and his concerns towards his wife joining politics. She said, "Dharamji didn’t like it. He told me not to contest election as it’s a very difficult task. He said, ‘I have experienced that.’ So when he said that it’s difficult task, I thought let me take it as a challenge. He faced a problem because he had to travel a lot of distance but he still did a lot of work. But when you are a film star working in politics, people have a lot of craze about you and want to approach you and you can imagine the craze people had about Dharamji. So it used to trouble him. I also face such problems which Dharamji doesn’t like. Because I am a woman so I am able to manage properly.”

Dharmendra, a former Member of Parliament from the BJP, represented Bikaner, Rajasthan, from 2004 to 2009. However, his attendance at Parliament sessions was infrequent, as he chose to prioritize his film career and personal obligations. This decision garnered criticism from various quarters.

Hema Malini on Vinod Khanna's impact on her political career

Hema Malini also remembered her bond with late actor Vinod Khanna and how he impacted her political career through his able mentoring. Recalling going on election campaigns with him, she said, "I was inspired by Vinod Khanna because he took me with him for his election campaign. He taught me a lot, how to give a speech, how to face the public. It’s not a joke to give a speech between 5000-6000 people, you get scared the first time.”

Vinod Khanna, a member of the BJP, held the position of Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur for two terms. Additionally, he served as the Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, as well as the Minister of State for External Affairs during his political career.