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Hema Malini – The authorised biography Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Sanjeev Kumar... she worked with all the leading stars, but it was with Dharmendra that the chemistry on screen was palpable. The special bond she shared with Dharmendra set the rumour mills buzzing and, defying all conventions, Hema married her Jat hero in May 1980. Striking a perfect balance between her personal and professional life. Hema maintains a dignity about the little world she shares with daughters Esha and
Ahana. This intimate portrayal, the first authorised biography, by Bhawana Somaaya is a result of her long years of association with Hema as a film journalist and critic. Hema speaks to Bhawana more candidly than ever before about her life, with and without Dharmendra, her children, her mother and her twin passions of dance and acting. “The media projects her as a traditional woman but her choices in life prove that she is more liberal than most of the slogan-shouting feminists we know about. Her unconventional marriage could not have occurred without her conviction to walk the path
untrodden. And the fact that she has been able to sustain this deviant relationship tells a lot about her courage and endurance. “Somaaya lends her keen observations as a journalist to this book. She projects the anxieties and the loneliness of the superstar and the woman with rare compassion and restraint. There are several revealing moments in the book when the reader can sense the actor’s desolation but there is no attempt on the part of the writer to sensationalise those moments. “On the contrary, the author documents the anecdotes like a quiet observer wading through the intricate web of fantasy and fiction. She lets the reel overlap the real and vice versa, to an extent that many times it is difficult to determine who is the alter ego between the subject and her voiceover.”
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Hema Malini, the quintessential ‘Dream Girl’ of Hindi cinema has truly nurtured a dream, and followed it to its realisation. After being unceremoniously dropped from her first Tamil film as the director felt that she didn’t have ‘star quality’, Hema signed the Hindi film she was offered opposite Raj Kapoor. Just eighteen, she soon conquered the hearts of all moviegoers with her beauty, grace and charisma. From Johnny Mera Naam to
Sholay, from Meera to Baghbaan, she has portrayed a diverse range of characters that will always remain a part of the film legend.
In the foreword, Gulzar says: “There are no doubts that in the history of Hindi cinema Hema Malini has had the longest reign as a number one star. No heroine before or after her has enjoyed her position or power and it’s to her credit that she has never misused her superstardom. On the contrary, despite several limitations and hurdles she has pushed herself to the optimum level to explore varied mediums like television, direction and at the moment Parliament.