Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani's Love Story From School Days

Esha Deol, daughter of Dharmendra and Hema Malini, has often been part of public discussion, both on screen and off it. The actress has drawn attention for her personal life as well as her professional work.

In 2012, Esha tied the knot with her boyfriend Bharat Takhtani. The marriage, however, ended in divorce in 2024. What many people do not know is that the two had been drawn to each other since their school years.

As Esha Deol gets ready to celebrate her 45th birthday on November 2, here is a look at the story of how she and Bharat Takhtani have known each other since they were 13.

Bharat Takhtani and Esha Deol went to different schools but grew into close childhood friends. Bharat's bond with Ahana Deol is also strong, and the two continue to share a good relationship.

Esha herself once revealed in an interview that she was already acquainted with Bharat at the age of 13. Even though they were enrolled in different institutions, they kept meeting at inter-school competitions. On one occasion, Bharat tried to hold her hand and was about to propose during school hours. Esha, however, was upset and rebuked him.

Bharat has also referred to this period in interviews. He described Esha as his first crush and his first love. He recalled that she handed him a tissue paper with her number written on it, and after that, they began talking more often. Once they left school, though, they did not meet for a long period.

According to Bharat, they reconnected about 10 years later at Niagara Falls in Canada, and their conversations resumed from there. He held her hand again only after seeking her consent, and this time she did not mind.

The relationship finally came to an end after 12 years of marriage. The couple could not agree on terms and chose to go separate ways. Esha had attempted to hold the marriage together and even stepped away from films after tying the knot, but the relationship did not survive.

The early years of Esha's marriage were reportedly happy. Five years after their wedding in 2012, the couple got married again. Esha said the ceremony is a tradition in Sindhi families and that she wanted their bond to grow stronger. But fate had other plans.

Esha has starred in a number of impressive films over the years.