Deol Family Tree - Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol
The Deol family is a Punjabi film dynasty of Hindi cinema, founded by the actor Dharmendra and continued by his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, his daughter Esha Deol, his nephew Abhay Deol and his grandsons Karan and Rajveer Deol.
Few families have kept such a long unbroken presence on the Hindi screen. From Dharmendra's debut in 1960 to his grandsons' first films in 2019 and 2023, three generations of Deols have worked as leading actors, and the family's production banner, Vijayta Films, has launched several of them.
## Origins
The Deols come from the Ludhiana district of Punjab. Dharmendra was born Dharam Singh Deol in 1935 to Kewal Kishan Singh Deol, a schoolteacher, and his wife Satwant Kaur, and grew up in the villages of rural Punjab. In 1954 he married Prakash Kaur, and a few years later he left for Bombay after winning a talent contest, making his screen debut in *Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere* (1960). His younger brother Ajit Deol also settled in Bombay, where Ajit's son Abhay was born.
## Notable members
- **Dharmendra** (1935-2025), the family patriarch, starred in *Phool Aur Patthar*, *Satyakam*, *Seeta Aur Geeta*, *Chupke Chupke* and *Sholay*, received the Padma Bhushan in 2012 and served as a Member of Parliament for Bikaner.
- **Hema Malini**, Dharmendra's second wife, is one of Hindi cinema's best-known actresses, a classical dancer and a Member of Parliament for Mathura.
- **Sunny Deol**, Dharmendra's elder son, became an action star with *Betaab*, *Ghayal*, *Damini*, *Border* and *Gadar: Ek Prem Katha*.
- **Bobby Deol**, the younger son, debuted in *Barsaat* (1995) and found a second wave of success with *Aashram* and *Animal*.
- **Esha Deol**, daughter of Dharmendra and Hema Malini, starred in *Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe*, *Dhoom* and *Yuva*.
- **Abhay Deol**, Dharmendra's nephew, is known for independent-minded films such as *Dev.D*, *Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!* and *Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara*.
- **Karan Deol** and **Rajveer Deol**, Sunny Deol's sons, represent the third generation of Deol actors.
## Significance
The Deols are closely identified with a rugged, rural Punjabi screen image, carried from Dharmendra's action roles of the 1970s to Sunny Deol's patriotic dramas. The family also spans politics: Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Sunny Deol have each been elected to the Lok Sabha. Films such as *Apne* (2007) and *Yamla Pagla Deewana* (2011) put father and sons on screen together, and the family's two branches, through Prakash Kaur and Hema Malini, are among the most discussed relationships in Indian cinema.
## Quick facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ludhiana district, Punjab, India |
| Founder | Dharmendra (Dharam Singh Deol), 1935-2025 |
| Field | Hindi cinema, Indian politics |
| Production banner | Vijayta Films |
| Generations of actors | Three |
| Best-known films | *Sholay*, *Ghayal*, *Gadar: Ek Prem Katha*, *Animal* |
| Members of Parliament | Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sunny Deol |
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