HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEMA MALINI: The Dream Girl of Bollywood, Hema Malini, is not only an iconic actress but also a respected member of the Lok Sabha from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014. With over five decades dedicated to Hindi cinema, the veteran actress has left an indelible mark on the industry, with successful films like, Sholay, Sapno Ka Saudagar, Johny Mera Naam, Seeta Aur Geeta, Baghban, Veer Zaara and many more.
Throughout her life, she was part of headlines, for personal, political, and social reasons. Today, the beloved star celebrates her 75th birthday and on this special occasion, let’s delves into some fascinating facts about this iconic and beautiful actress.
1 – Hema Malini was born on October 16, 1948, into a Tamil speaking Iyengar family, with her parents being V.S. Ramanujam Chakravarthy and Jaya Chakravarthy.
2 – She is the youngest of her three siblings, and her mother was a film producer.
3 – Hema left school at a young age to pursue a career in the film industry.
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4 – In early years, Hema Malini received training in various classical dance forms, including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi and Mohiniattam.
5 – Hema Malini was chosen by Tamil filmmaker CV Sridhar, who even changed her name to Sujata. However, he decided not to cast her, feeling that she wasn’t suitable for the role.
6 – Hema Malini made her debut in Tamil film, Idhu Sathiyam and later in 1965 she landed a small role in NT Rama Rao’s film Pandava Vanavasam.
7 – Hema Malini made her Bollywood debut opposite Raj Kapoor in the 1968 film, Sapno Ka Saudagar. While the film didn’t perform well at the box office, her performance received praise.
8 – The actress was signed for Johny Mera Naam opposite Dev Anand and first film with Dharmendra, Tum Haseen Main Jawaan in 1970. Both of these films turned out to be super hits.
9 – She won the Filmfare Award in Best Actress category for her dual role in the comedy film Seeta Aur Geeta.
10 – Hema Malini earned the title of Dream Girl due to her memorable performance in the 1977 film of the same name.
11 – Early in her career, Hema Malini was scolded by her mother for wearing a swimsuit in a film scene. Since then she never wore any kind of revealing outfits in the future films.
12 – Both Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar proposed marriage to Hema Malini, but she turned down their proposals.
13 – Hema initially rejected Dharmendra’s proposals too because he was already married and older than her. However, their feelings for each other grew and they eventually became a couple.
14 – Hema Malini was one of the highest-paid Bollywood actresses alongside Zeenat Aman between 1976 and 1980.
15 – Hema Malini is the only actress who shared screen space with all five of the Kapoor brothers, including Raj, Shammi, Shashi, Randhir and Rishi Kapoor.
16 – Dharmendra and Hema Malini got married after converting to Islam, as Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur.
17 – Following their conversion, Hema was named Aisha Bi R Chakravarty, and Dharmendra became Dilawar Khan.
18 – Hema Malini and Dharmendra appeared together in a total of 28 films during their careers in Bollywood.
19 – Hema Malini is only 8 years older than Sunny Deol, who is the eldest child of Dharmendra and his first wife, Prakash Kaur.
20 – Madhoo Raghunath, known for her roles in ‘Phool Aur Kaante’ and ‘Roja,’ is Hema Malini’s niece.
21 – Hema Malini played a significant role in giving Shah Rukh Khan his break in Bollywood. Impressed by his work in TV serials, she cast him in her film Dil Aashna Hai, which also marked her directorial debut.
22 – Hema Malini’s foray into politics began when she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President APJ Abdul Kalam in 2003.
23 – Hema Malini was honoured with the title of PETA Person of the Year in 2011, for raising voice against animal cruelty.
24 – Hema Malini has graced the silver screen in more than 150 films.
25 – She was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1999 for her outstanding contributions to the film industry.
26 – She owns the Natya Vihar Kalakendra dance school, where she continues to promote and preserve the rich traditions of dance in India.
27 – Hema Malini was among the first few actresses to wear bell-bottoms and shirts on the silver screen, setting a style statement that became popular in her era.
28 – In Sholay, where Dharmendra teaches her to shoot, the actor reportedly paid the light boys to deliberately make mistakes during the shots.
29 – Hema Malini’s entry into politics was influenced by Vinod Khanna, a renowned actor and politician.
30 – Her on screen chemistry with Rajesh Khanna was successful, as they gave 10 blockbuster hits together.
31 – Hema Malini’s outstanding performances have earned her 11 nominations for the Filmfare Award.
32 – Hema Malini decided to reject the role in Satyam Shivam Sundaram due to concerns about excessive body exposure.
33 – Dharmendra and Hema Malini have two daughters, Esha and Ahana.
34 – Hema Malini is one of the few actresses to have won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress three times in a row (1973, 1974, and 1975).
35 – Hema Malini was the first Indian actress to appear on the cover of Time magazine.
36 – Hema Malini played a crucial role in reviving the careers of iconic actors Manoj Kumar and Rajesh Khanna. She starred alongside Manoj in Sanyasi and with Rajesh in Premnagar.
37 – In Vijay Anand’s Tere Mere Sapne, Hema Malini had a guest appearance and played the role of an actress named Maltimala, a character inspired by the renowned actress Vyjayanthimala.
38 – Sanjeev Kumar had deep feelings for Hema Malini and she was the only woman he ever wanted to marry. When she turned down his proposal, it left him devastated.
39 – Hema Malini’s favorite subject in school was History.
40 – In 2000, she received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2019, she was presented with the Filmfare Special Award for her remarkable 50 years of outstanding contribution to cinema.
41 – Hema Malini provided a lot of support to Rekha during her early days in Bollywood.
42 – She officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2004 and later became its general secretary in 2010. In the May elections, she won the Mathura Lok Sabha seat for the BJP, becoming a Member of Parliament.
43 – Hema Malini was the fourth highest-paid actress in the years 1971-1975 and the second-highest-paid actress in the years 1976-1980.
44 – There were reports in the media that Jeetendra and Hema Malini had decided to get married, and they were in Chennai. However, as soon as Dharmendra came to know about this, he travelled all the way to Chennai.
45 – After being rejected by Sridhar in her early years, Hema Malini and the filmmaker eventually worked together in the 1973 film Gehri Chaal.
46 – Cricketer Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, like Hema Malini, was rumoured to have fallen in love with the actress.
47 – Hema Malini’s on-screen pairings with actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Jeetendra, and Amitabh were much-loved by the audience.
48 – Hema Malini has launched her own line of beauty products named Hema Malini’s Star Collection.
49 – She has authored an autobiography titled Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl.
50 – In 2012, Sir Padampat Singhania University conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Malini in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema.
51 – In 2006, Malini received the Sopori Academy of Music And Performing Arts (SaMaPa) Vitasta award from Bhajan Sopori in Delhi for her contribution and service to Indian culture and dance.
52 – Hema Malini is also a life member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
53 – Hema and Jeetendra became such good friends that Hema became the only person to know about Jeetendra’s affair with Mumtaz.
54 – Hema Malini often shares humorous anecdotes and enjoys engaging with her fans on social media.
55 – She also produced and directed her second feature film Mohini (1995), starring her niece Madhoo and actor Sudesh Berry in the leading roles.
56 – In the 90s, she focused on dancing and television work, only occasionally appearing in films. In 1997, she acted in Vinod Khanna’s production Himalay Putra.
57 – After taking a break from films for a number of years, Malini made a successful comeback with Baghban.
58 – In 2011, she produced and directed her third film, Tell Me O Khuda, which featured both her husband Dharmendra and her daughter Esha Deol.
59 – She was honoured with the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award at the 52nd International Film Festival of India in 2021.
60 – She once wrote to the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, urging him to ban bullfighting.
61 – In 2007, she performed in Mysuru on the eve of Dussehra, where she played the roles of Sati, Parvati and Durga.
62 – Hema Malini has appeared in television serials, including Jai Mata Ki, where she portrayed the role of goddess Durga.
63 – Hema Malini served as the editor of New Woman and Meri Saheli magazines.
64 – Hema Malini made history in 2000 when she was appointed as the first female chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
65 – In 2007, Hema Malini became the brand ambassador of Kent RO Systems.
66 – Three biographical books about Hema Malini have been published, Hema Malini: Diva Unveiled, Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl by Ram Kamal Mukherjee and Hema Malini: The Authorized Biography by Bhawana Somaaya.
67 – Her mother wasn’t very happy with her romance with Dharmendra and wanted her to marry Jeetendra.
68 – Jeetendra’s family was excited, but he knew that Hema Malini didn’t love him.
69 – Hema Malini continued to work in heroine-centric roles even after becoming a mother.
70 – In 2010, Hema Malini acted in the film Sadiyaan alongside fellow veteran actress Rekha.
71 – Hema Malini, along with her daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol, performed classical dance in a production called Parampara for charitable events.
72 – Hema Malini not only directed but also played the role of a Bharatanatyam dancer in the TV serial Noopur.
73 – Hema Malini, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol also showcased their talents at the Khajuraho Dance Festival.
74 – Hema Malini has portrayed various dance roles, including the characters of Narasimha and Rama in Tulasidas’s Ramcharitmanas.
75 – On 11 June 2015, Hema Malini became a grandmother when her younger daughter, Ahana Deol, welcomed her first child, Darien Vohra.