New Delhi, Dec. 3 -- Hema Malini and Dharmendra's romance has long captivated Bollywood fans. The two fell in love while working together in the 1970s and eventually married in 1980, despite Dharmendra already having a wife, Prakash Kaur, and four children - Sunny, Bobby, Ajeeta and Vijeta. But while the relationship grabbed headlines, Hema was privately enduring one of the toughest periods of her life.

According to her authorised biography Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl, Dharmendra offered to help her financially. Hema, however, refused. Determined to stand on her own feet, she decided to confront the crisis without relying on him.

Hema later revealed that her mother, who handled her finances, had neglected income tax payments for ...