Mumbai: Veteran journalist and film critic Bhawana Somaaya has reflected on a time when the personal lives of Bollywood stars were kept intensely private, describing an industry where boundaries were respected and discretion was the norm. Speaking to ANI, she recalled a culture in which even marriages and pregnancies were handled with utmost confidentiality, supported by a close-knit media fraternity.

Somaaya said the dynamic between journalists and celebrities once rested largely on trust and shared values.

"Earlier, everything was personalised. There were a handful of newspapers and a handful of magazines. Everybody knew everybody by name. In our time, we were more friendly to each star individually than the stars were to each other. Nobody told you that this is off-record and this is on-record. You came from that kind of family, that kind of values and tradition, that you would not betray your own sister or your aunt. It was just so organic," she said.

How was the Dharmendra-Hema Malini marriage handled?

Using Hema Malini and Dharmendra's wedding as an example, Somaaya highlighted the quiet dignity with which major personal milestones were once managed.

"Everybody knew about their marriage. The first time Dharamji said, 'I'm married to her', it was for my magazine. I was not the editor; I was a reporter. We went to Film City and just had to take one line from them - 'I'm married to her'. We waited for four hours. As soon as we got that, we left," she recalled.

How did the couple keep Hema Malini's pregnancy private?

Somaaya also spoke about the lengths the couple went to in order to keep Hema Malini's pregnancy away from public scrutiny, including making multiple hospital bookings.

"Nobody knew where Hema Malini was going to deliver. She was acting when she was pregnant. She used to say how everybody realised that she had gained weight. But she has such a beautiful face, and nothing about her appearance gave away her pregnancy. She used to get into that costume and even performed Bharatanatyam," she said.

Dharmendra and Hema Malini first met in 1970 during the shooting of the film Tum Haseen Main Jawan, where they played the lead roles. Their bond grew over the years and they married in 1980. The couple has two daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol.

The legendary actor, lovingly known as Bollywood's 'He-Man', passed away on 24 November 2025, leaving the industry and the nation mourning his loss and remembering his vast cinematic legacy.