MASAND: A Leading Actor is a Serial Philanderer - Page 50

Film star Dharmendra, now a BJP MP, could not have thought in his wildest dreams that his second marriage to "Aaisha Bi R. Chakravarty" alias Hema Malini would come to haunt him one day. Dharmendra had converted to Islam to marry Hema Malini as Hindus are not allowed second marriage. Their marriage was solemnised on 21 August 1979 in Bombay in accordance with Islamic rites. He had married Hema while his first wife Prakash Kaur was still alive. Had he not contested the Lok Sabha elections from Bikaner, the matter probably would not have come to light.

While filing his nomination papers as a BJP candidate before the returning officer, Dharmendra had written his name as Deol Dharmendra Kewal Krishn concealing his Muslim name Dilawar Khan and wrote the name of his first wife in the respective column. When his political rivals brought the issue to the notice of election authorities and the general public, he denied his conversion to Islam and change of name. But Delhi magazine Outlook published a photocopy of his Nikahnama (marriage document) which clearly said that Dilawar Khan Kewal Krishn (44 years) accepted Aisha Bi R. Chakravarty (29 years) as his wife on 21 August 1979 at a mehr of, Rs 111,000 in the presence of two legal witnesses…' The nikah was solemnised by Maulana Qazi Abu Talha Misbahi Faizabadi.