Hema Malini

Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948 ) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician who is currently serving as a member of the Lok Sabha from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), representing Mathura constituency since 2014.

Malini made her acting debut in 1963 with the Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam.

Malini had played small roles in Pandava Vanavasam (1965) and Idhu Sathiyam (1962).

Malini first acted in a lead role in Sapno Ka Saudagar (1968), and went on to feature in numerous Hindi films, frequently opposite Dharmendra, whom she married in 1980.

In 1968, she was chosen to play the lead opposite Raj Kapoor in Sapno Ka Saudagar and was promoted as the Dream Girl.

Her first film with Dharmendra was Tum Haseen Main Jawaan (1970).

Malini played the lead in Johnny Mera Naam (1970).

Roles in subsequent films such as Andaz (1971) and Lal Patthar (1971) established her as a leading actress.

She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her dual role in the comedy Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), and was nominated ten more times leading up to Baghban (2003).

In 1972, she played a double role opposite Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar in Seeta Aur Geeta, which earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award for the film.

The list of successful films she starred include Sanyasi, Dharmatma and Pratigya, Sholay, Trishul to name a few.

Malini and Dharmendra acted together in 28 films including Sharafat, Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Naya Zamana, Raja Jani, Seeta Aur Geeta, Patthar Aur Payal, Dost (1974), Sholay (1975), Charas, Jugnu, Apna Khoon, Azaad (1978) and Dillagi (1978).

Her chemistry with Rajesh Khanna was appreciated in Andaz and Prem Nagar.

Their subsequent films such as Mehbooba and Janta Hawaldar did not, however, do well at the box office.

In the 80s Malini continued to star in big budget films such as Kranti, Naseeb, Satte Pe Satta and Rajput, most of which proved successful at the box office.

She continued to work in heroine-centric roles after becoming a mother in films such as Aandhi Toofan, Durgaa, Ramkali, Sitapur Ki Geeta, Ek Chadar Maili Si, Rihaee and Jamai Raja.

During this period, her films with Dharmendra included Alibaba Aur 40 Chor, Baghavat, Samraat, Razia Sultan, Baghavat, and Raaj Tilak.

She continued to be paired with Rajesh Khanna in movies such as Dard, Bandish, Kudrat, Hum Dono, Rajput, Babu, Durgaa, Sitapur Ki Geeta and Paap Ka Ant, some of which were major successes in her career.

Malini was initially promoted as the "Dream Girl", and in 1977 starred in a film of the same name.

They later married in 1980.

Dharmendra already had two sons and two daughters with his first wife Prakash Kaur, two of whom later became Bollywood actors – Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.

Malini and Dharmendra have two children, Esha Deol (born 1981) and Ahana Deol (born 1985).

Madhoo, who played the female lead in Phool Aur Kaante, Roja and Annayya, is Malini's niece.

In the 1990s, she produced and directed the 1992 film Dil Aashna Hai, starring Divya Bharti and Shah Rukh Khan in the leading roles.

She also produced and directed her second feature film Mohini (1995), starring her niece Madhoo and actor Sudesh Berry in the leading roles.

In 2000, Malini won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2019 a Filmfare Special Award for 50 Years of Outstanding Contribution to Cinema.

Malini was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2000, the fourth-highest civilian honour awarded by the Government of India.

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.

She was a member of the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka from 2011 to 2012, subsequent to her nomination to that chamber from 2003 to 2009 as a member of the BJP.

Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she has starred in both comic and dramatic roles, and is one of the most popular and successful leading actresses of mainstream Hindi cinema.

She studied at DTEA Mandir Marg until the 11th Standard, after which she pursued her acting career.

In 2012, the Sir Padampat Singhania University conferred an honorary doctorate on Malini in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema.

Malini served as chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation.

In 2013, she received the NTR National Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh for her contribution to Indian cinema.

Malini has been involved with charitable and social ventures.

Currently, Malini is also a life member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Malini was born in a Tamil Iyengar Brahmin family to Jaya Lakshmi and VSR Chakravarti Iyengar in Ammankudi, Madras Province (now Tamil Nadu).

She attended the Andhra Mahila Sabha in Chennai, where her favourite subject was history.

On 11 June 2015, Malini became a first-time grandmother when her younger daughter, Ahana Deol, gave birth to her first child, Darien Vohra.

On 19 October 2017, she became a grandmother for the second time when her elder daughter, Esha Deol Takhtani, gave birth to a girl, Radhya Takhtani.