Esha Deol

1. Overview

Esha Deol is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi cinema. Born on November 2, 1981, she is the elder daughter of renowned Bollywood actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini. Deol made her acting debut in 2002 with the romantic thriller Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe, for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. After experiencing a period of poorly received films, she achieved success with notable roles in films such as the political drama Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004), the action thrillers Dhoom (2004) and Dus (2005), the horror film Kaal (2005), and the comedy No Entry (2005). Following a hiatus from acting, Deol returned to the screen with streaming series like Rudra: The Edge of Darkness (2022) and Hunter Tootega Nahi Todega (2023). Beyond her acting career, Deol has also been involved in professional football, classical dance, and has authored a book on parenting.

2. Early life and family

Esha Deol's early life was deeply rooted in the Indian film industry, given her parents' prominent careers.

2.2. Family background

Esha Deol is the elder daughter of veteran Bollywood actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini. She has a younger sister named Ahana Deol. Her family connections extend further within the film industry; she is the half-sister of actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, and the first cousin of actor Abhay Deol.

Her family background reflects a diverse cultural heritage. Her father, Dharmendra, is a Punjabi Jat, while her mother, Hema Malini, is a Tamil Hindu Iyengar Brahmin. Esha Deol speaks தமிழ்_Tamil^Tamil with her mother and sister, reflecting her mother's cultural roots.

3. Career

Esha Deol's career spans over two decades in the Indian film and television industry, marked by her debut, periods of success, and a recent return to acting.

3.2. Breakthrough and notable films (2004-2008)

In 2004, Esha Deol made her debut in Tamil cinema with Mani Ratnam's political film Aayutha Ezhuthu, starring opposite Suriya. She played the role of a French teacher and received critical acclaim, with Sify.com describing her as "surprisingly fresh and sparkling." To prepare for the role, Deol learned the nuances of the Tamil language with Mani Ratnam's assistant, R. Kannan. This remains her only Tamil film. After completing Aayutha Ezhuthu, Deol filmed its Hindi version, Yuva, where she reprised her role and was paired with Ajay Devgn. Both films were released on the same date but failed to achieve significant commercial success, with Yuva having a below-average opening and flopping at the box office.

Deol achieved her breakthrough with Yash Raj Films' action film Dhoom (2004), co-starring Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Uday Chopra, and Rimi Sen. This marked her first action role, where she was paired opposite Chopra. The film had a decent opening and became a hit, ranking as the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2004. Although her role had limited scope, her performance earned her a nomination for the IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 6th IIFA Awards.

Following the success of Dhoom, Deol starred in Krishna Vamsi's war film Insan (2005) opposite Akshay Kumar, which was a box office failure. Her next release was Main Aisa Hi Hoon (2005) opposite Ajay Devgn, a remake of the Hollywood film I Am Sam (2001). Deol played a supporting role and received praise from critics. Patcy N. of Rediff commended her performance, and Subhash K. Jha of IANS noted that Deol "comes into her own as an actress" in the film, highlighting her portrayal of a "fey unstable nomadic and maladjusted Maya."

Deol' continued to appear in films such as Kaal (2005), Dus (2005), No Entry (2005), and Shaadi No. 1 (2005). In Dus, she portrayed Agent Neha / MISS 430. In 2006, she appeared in Pyare Mohan and Ankahee. For her role in Ankahee, she was nominated for Best Antagonist at the Screen Awards, People's Choice Awards, India, and Stardust Awards.

In 2007, Deol's portrayal of a notorious and vengeful ghost in Ram Gopal Verma's Darling received positive reviews. She also appeared in Just Married and Cash, both opposite Ajay Devgn. In 2008, she performed her first item number in Ajay Devgn's film Sunday. She also appeared in Money Hai Toh Honey Hai, One Two Three, and Hijack before taking a three-year sabbatical from films.

4. Personal life

Esha Deol's personal life has seen significant milestones, including her marriage and the birth of her children, followed by a recent announcement of separation.

4.1. Marriage and children

On June 29, 2012, Esha Deol married businessman Bharat Takhtani in a private ceremony at the ISKCON temple in Mumbai.

In April 2017, the couple announced they were expecting their first child. Deol gave birth to her first daughter, Radhya, in October 2017 at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. On June 10, 2019, she welcomed her second daughter, Miraya.

5. Filmography

All films are in Hindi unless otherwise noted.

6. Awards and nominations