Hema Malini – Beyond The Image Of Dream Girl

From the time she was introduced as an awkward newcomer by Raj Kapoor in Sapno Ka Saudagar (1968) to becoming dream girl of Hindi cinema, Hema Malini has come a long way. She essayed herself in different roles – actress, dancer, politician, director – producer. She reigned the box office for the longest period and even after marriage she continued with her career. But dance happens to be her first love. Even at the age of 68, Hema Malini enthralls the audience with her dance ballets like Durga, Meera, Ramayana, Savitri and Radha Krishna. She says that dance has enriched her life. She says –

“The fulfilment I feel after a three-hour show on stage is something a film can never match. In films you work in fragmented frames, you switch on and off from your character. On stage you transform into the character”.

In short her dance performances take her beyond the image of dream girl.
In Hindi cinema, her sheer screen presence was hard to beat. With her jingling laugh & the looks that arrested your eyes she was the heartthrob of millions throughout the 70’s & some parts of 80’s. She had everybody oohing over her grace and beauty. But Hema Malini did not get her dues as a classical dancer in Hindi cinema. Blame it on the movies she did or even the era in which she was at the top. 70s & 80s was the period which saw the rise of modern cinema with pop and disco culture doing rounds in almost all the films. It was even the time when art house cinema was booming and had no scope to fit in the classical dances.

The article appreciates Hema Malini as a classical dancer through few such songs of her.

1. Jugnu (1973) – Paired with Dharmendra, she was flawless in her looks as well as the dance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkeNm0lyHLY

2. Mrig Trishna (1975) – Who can forget this beautiful Rafi song? Hema Malini has done full justice to his voice!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1vFwYJTD58

3. Mehbooba (1976) – The reincarnation story based on Gulshan Nanda’s novel, with a lovely soundtrack by R.D.Burman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKhg9IbAqms

4. Kinara (1977) – A film by Gulzar, known for its music by R.D.Burman.

5. Sharafat Chhod Di Maine (1976) – Starring opposite Feroz Khan, this film had some good dance numbers though they were mostly under the mujra genre. This particular song is her stage performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTQoE0KEWbM

6. Lekin (1990) – From the house of Mangeshkars and directed by Gulzar came this poetry on celluloid. Hema Malini though had a guest appearance in the film, this beautiful song was picturised on her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTd9JxGjskA