Dream Girl of Indian Cinema

Dream Girl of Indian Cinema; Kisi Shayar Ki Gazal – Dream Girl!; Kisi Jheel Ka Kamal – Dream Girl! - This Kishore Kumar and Laxmikant – Pyarelal’s Hindi film song penned by Anand Bakshi was a hit in 1977. Cinema houses were full of promotional posters of this ethereal beauty for the recent release of the 1977 movie, Dream Girl. But the lead actress was already famed for being the Dream Girl!

Hema Malini was one of the highest paid actors of her time; Image Source:newsresolution.com

Who can forget the rowdy and mischievous Basanti from Ramesh Sippy's Blockbuster film Sholay!

A young, charming and trained Indian classical dancer Hema Malini began her career in acting after completing her education till 11th standard in Andhra Mahila Sabha. She was in her teens when she took her first leap to test her acting skills. Hailing from Tamil Nadu and born in Iyengar family to Jaya Lakshmi and VSR Chakravarti, (who was a South Indian movie producer) on 16th of October,1946 she dreamt of becoming the most wanted and popular face of film industry.

A trained classical singer and Bharatnatyam dancer Hema was encouraged to bring laurels in the profession of acting and performing arts by her mother. Soon she got a break in a South Indian movie after many hardships but on condition that her name shall be renamed as Sujatha because Hema had no appeal of Stardom in it. This disappointed her and her family alike. Soon Hema was rejected for the film with claims that she has no star-like quality which could appeal larger audience in the cinema halls with housefull status.

Demoralised and discouraged she shifted to Bombay and after some short stint in South Indian Cinema Hema got her break in Bombay in movie “Sapno ka Saudagar” starring Raj Kapoor at the age of 16.

It so happened, that the Producer of movie B. Ananthaswami needed a captivating promotional tagline to introduce the debutant actress, in lack of words he exclaimed O Dream Girl! And that's how the tag stuck with her forever. In the coming years of her career she was also the protagonist of a movie titled , Dream Girl.

She was noticed in her hit movie opposite Dev Anand in “Johnny Mera Naam” as a lead actor. Soon Hema Malini emerged as a fine actor who carved her own niche with panache in Hindi Film Industry. Acting with several big names like Amitabh Bachhan , Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Jeetendra and many more she became every casting director's first choice!

Movies like Kudrat, Razia Sultan, Sholay, Naseeb, The Burning Train, Alibaba Aur 40 Chor were some of the highest grossing hits given by Hema Malini. Her role of two identical twin sisters with personalities poles apart to each other in “Seeta aur Geeta” won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1972.

But it wasn’t just the commercial movies Hema was known for she tried her skills in parallel cinema and achieved great success in movies like Kinara, Meera, Khushboo and Ek Chadar Maili Si for intense roles in contrast to her jolly characters in commercial films.

Hema not only acted but also tried her hands to direct some movies and tv serials. In her Directed movie “Dil Aashna Hai” she gave a break to SRK aka King Khan of industry, after noticing him from a television serial Fauji. “Mohini” and a widely watched television serial “Noopur” about a dancer and her struggles were also her directorial creations.

Dream Girl was no more "Dream Girl" for Dharmendra a famous actor himself, with whom Hema had shared screen in many blockbuster commercial films. Dharmendra remarried her after a love affair despite being married previously.

She won Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and was conferred with Padma Shri for her contribution in movies and Dance forms. She has performed in Khajuraho Dance festival and also performed for charitable purpose with her daughters. Hema also extended her voice for Animal Rights advocacy and is associated with PETA.

In 2004 Hema Malini joined politics with official membership of BJP. She became a member of Lok Sabha in 2014 after the general elections, and this is how Dream Girl became the Real Girl for her beloved fans.

A still from film Dream Girl; Image Source: Pinterest