Star of the week - HEMA MALINI

Profile

Name: Hema Malini R. Chakravarthy
DOB: October 16, 1948
Star: Libra
Birthplace: Ammankundi, Tamil Nadu, India
Profession: Actress, director, producer, dancer and politican

Recognition:

• Hema has appeared in more than 150 films. During her career, she received 11 nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, winning the award in 1973. In 2000, Malini won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour awarded by the Government of India.

Interesting facts:

• Hema was the third child born in a Tamil-speaking Iyengar family to Jaya Lakshmi Chakravarti, a film producer, and VSR Chakravarti. Hema’s favourite subject in school was history, but she left studies in 12th Standard to begin her acting career.

• Hema was a supporting artiste in a 1963 and 1965 film. In 1968, she played opposite Raj Kapoor in Sapno Ka Saudagar. That was the beginning of her promotion as the "Bollywood dream girl". She even appeared in a 1977 film of the same name.

• In 1972, Malini appeared opposite Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar in Seeta Aur Geeta for which she received a Filmfare Best Actress Award. Within four years of making her debut, she was an established lead actress in Bollywood.

• In most of her films, Hema starred opposite her husband Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand. Malini's first film with Dharmendra was Sharafat (1970), and they got married in 1979. She performed with him in 28 films. Her screen presence and chemistry with Khanna was also much appreciated. The Times of India called them one of the top film couples.

• In the 1990s, Hema produced and directed Dil Aashna Hai, starring Divya Bharti and Shah Rukh Khan in the leading roles, and Mohini, starring her niece Madhoo in the lead. She then focused on dancing and television work, only occasionally appearing in films. In 1997, she acted in Vinod Khanna's production Himalay Putra which marked the debut of his son Akshaye Khanna.

• After taking a break from films for a number of years, Hema made a comeback with Baghban (2003), for which she earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination. She also made guest appearances in Veer-Zaara (2004) and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007). In 2010, she acted in Sadiyaan alongside fellow veteran actress Rekha.

• In 2017 She acted in Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi with Vinod Khanna as her husband. It was Khanna's last film.

• Hema is a supporter of the animal rights organisation, PETA India. In 2009, she wrote a letter to the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner urging him to ban horse carriages from Mumbai`s busy streets. In 2011, she wrote to the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, urging him to ban bull fighting. Malini won the title of "PETA Person of the Year". As a vegetarian, she said, "Knowing that my food choices are helping the planet and animals too, makes me happy".

• Malini is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and has studied Kuchipudi and Mohiniattam. Her daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol are trained Odissi dancers and have performed with their mothers a couple of times. Malini owns the Natya Vihar Kalakendra dance school.

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