When your parents happen to be Hema Malini and Dharmendra, life lessons don’t exactly come from self-help books. During her appearance on Sunday Brunch with Kamiya Jani, Esha Deol was asked a simple question: what has she learnt from her mother and father? The answer turned into a mix of hilarious industry hacks, family traits, and a surprisingly emotional tribute to her dad.
The Acting Hack Esha Learnt From Hema Malini
Starting with her mother, Esha revealed one of Hema Malini’s most useful acting lessons. If a scene requires you to hug someone but you’d rather not actually hug them, there’s a technique for that. Instead of going in for a full embrace, you position your hands in a way that creates the illusion of a hug while still keeping control of the interaction. It’s the kind of old-school film wisdom that probably never makes it into acting workshops.
Then came another mother-daughter similarity Esha couldn’t resist mentioning. “We both have huge foreheads,” she laughed, sharing how she learnt on-screen tricks from Hema Malini to make them appear less prominent on camera. Some family heirlooms come in the form of jewellery, others hit in the form of forehead genes.
Asked what she had inherited from her father, Esha paused before admitting that there were far too many things to list. Some, she joked, could be spoken about on camera. Others probably couldn’t. What she did want to talk about was his heart.
Also Read: Hema Malini Travels By Mumbai Metro & Leaves Passengers Starstruck. Watch!
Why Dharmendra’s Kind Heart Inspires Esha Deol
“I don’t think anyone can have a heart like him,” she said, sounding like someone genuinely in awe of her parent. According to Esha Deol, she and the rest of the family may have inherited pieces of that quality, but matching Dharmendra ji’s generosity and warmth is nearly impossible.
She also sees shades of him in everyday life. The way she likes things around the house, the little habits and the need for order.
Kamiya Jani, our editor-in-chief, looked visibly delighted to hear this heartwarming confession.
And then there’s meditation. Dharmendra ji had encouraged her to start meditating years ago, insisting she give it a serious shot. Today, Esha says the practice has brought a noticeable sense of calm into her life. But no, she hasn’t achieved saint-like patience. In fact, she was the first to admit that her temper still makes occasional appearances and that patience remains a work in progress.
A fake-hug masterclass from Hema Malini, meditation advice from Dharmendra, and a forehead-related bonding moment in between, honestly, that’s not a bad inheritance package.
You can watch this Sunday Brunch episode on the Curly Tales App and our official YouTube page.
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What acting lesson did Esha Deol learn from Hema Malini?
Esha revealed that her mother taught her subtle on-screen techniques, including a clever way to perform hugging scenes while maintaining personal comfort.