'No shorts allowed', 'Kitchen rules to follow' - shocking details of Esha Deol & Bharat Takhtani's marriage

Esha Deol’s marriage to businessman Bharat Takhtani once looked like a picture-perfect Bollywood wedding. In 2012, Dharmendra and Hema Malini hosted one of the biggest celebrations of the year, marrying off their daughter to a man outside the industry. But what followed inside the Takhtani household was very different from the world Esha had grown up in.

Twelve years later, the marriage ended. Their separation in 2024 shocked many, but Esha’s own revelations over the years had already hinted at the adjustments she faced as a wife, daughter-in-law, and eventually a mother raising two children largely on her own terms.

No Shorts in the House

Esha first gave the public a peek into her married life in her book Amma Mia. Moving into Bharat’s joint family meant a set of unwritten rules. One of them was simple yet jarring: she could not wear shorts or ganjis inside the home. For someone raised in an open, filmi household, it was a cultural shock.

While she acknowledged the warmth she received from Bharat’s family, she admitted that the shift in lifestyle was drastic. Her casual wardrobe had to be put aside, and she began living by the family’s codes.

Learning the Kitchen Rules

Another discovery was the kitchen. Esha had never cooked before her marriage. But in the Takhtani home, women were used to preparing and packing lunchboxes for their husbands every day. They were the ones running the kitchen, celebrated for it.

Esha was spared from strict expectations, as her mother-in-law did not insist she follow traditional duties. She even said she was pampered, often treated like another child rather than a daughter-in-law. Still, the experience opened her eyes to a world where domestic responsibility was central.

From Lavish Wedding to Separation

Despite adjustments, the couple stayed together for more than a decade and welcomed two daughters, Radhya and Miraya. But in February 2024, Esha and Bharat announced their separation. The news broke quietly but carried heavy weight.

Reports suggested Dharmendra was deeply affected. Though he did not publicly comment, insiders said he wanted the two to reconsider for the sake of their daughters. To him, the collapse of the marriage meant not just heartbreak for Esha but also disruption in the lives of his grandchildren, who were close to both sides of the family.

Esha on Being a Mother Alone

Post-separation, Esha has often been asked about being a single mother. She resists the tag. In an interview earlier this year, she explained that she doesn’t like to see herself through that lens. Instead, she views parenting as a shared responsibility, even if the marriage has ended.

According to her, she and Bharat still come together when it comes to the children. The idea is to maintain a stable unit for Radhya and Miraya, even if the structure of the family has changed.

Bharat Moves On

While Esha has stayed focused on her daughters, Bharat has found himself in the news again. He posted a photo with entrepreneur Meghna Lakhani Talreja, captioning it with “Welcome to my family” and a heart emoji. The post fueled speculation that he has moved into a new relationship.

That development has only added more attention to the former couple’s story, with fans drawing contrasts between Esha’s focus on parenting and Bharat’s new chapter.

A Bollywood Story with Real-life Turns

Esha Deol’s journey has seen phases of glamour, cultural adjustment, motherhood, and finally separation. The initial shock of a no-shorts rule and unfamiliar kitchen expectations revealed how her life changed overnight after marriage. The end of the marriage, and the way both she and Bharat are navigating the aftermath, continues to keep the family in the headlines.

For Dharmendra and Hema Malini, the chapter may not have unfolded the way they once imagined at their daughter’s wedding. For Esha, it is now about raising her daughters and carrying forward without letting the past define her.