Hema Malini: The Authorized Biography

Bhawana Somaaya, Hema Malini

Description

Hema Malini, the quintessential 'Dream Girl'of Hindi cinema, has truly nurtured a dream and followed it to its realization. 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 film legend. 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 authorized 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.

Sujets

• Performing Arts
• Hema
• Dream Girl
• Biography
• Malini
• Deol
• Entertainment
• Cinema
• Autobiography
• Dharmendra
• Sholay
• Hemas
• Indian
• Bollywood

Informations

• Publié par: Roli Books
• Date de parution: 01 février 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789351940487
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

About the book
Hema Malini, the quintessential 'Dream Girl' of Hindi cinema, has truly nurtured a dream and followed it to its realization. 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 film legend. 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 authorized 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.
About the author
A writer-journalist and film-critic, Bhawana Somaaya is the recipient of the Mahila Shiromani Award (1990) for her contribution to the field of journalism and her various prominent titles published over the years. She has regularly contributed to various columns in Sunday Observer, Afternoon, Janmabhoomi Pravasi, The Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Pioneer and Newstime . She is also the author of well-known titles such as Amitabh Bachchan - The Legend, Salaam Bollywood, Take-25, The Story So Far and Cinema: Images & Issues.

ROLI BOOKS
This digital edition published in 2014
First published in 2007 by The Lotus Collection An Imprint of Roli Books Pvt. Ltd M-75, Greater Kailash- II Market New Delhi 110 048 Phone: ++91 (011) 40682000 Email: [e-mail] Website: www.rolibooks.com
Copyright © Bhawana Somaaya, 2007
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, print reproduction, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Roli Books. Any unauthorized distribution of this e-book may be considered a direct infringement of copyright and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Cover Design: Aarti Subramanium Cover Photograph Courtesy: Subi Samuel Photographs on pages viii, xx Courtesy: Dabboo Ratnani Epilogue picture Courtesy: Gautam Rajadhyaksha
eISBN: 978-93-5194-048-7
All rights reserved.This e-book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form or cover other than that in which it is published.
Hema Malini
For my two sisters, Jiji Pravina Thakkar and Sarla Rajani who have been an integral part of my growing up
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Preface
Prologue
Shlokas and the Sound of Tatu Kazhi
Costumes and Camera
The Scent of Stardom
Passion and Protest
Historical Moments
Moods and Moments
Terms of Endearment
Spreading Her Wings
Dance Like a God
Roots and Shadows
Coming Full Circle
Notes from a Mother’s Diary
Epilogue
Fact File
Acknowledgements
M adhuri Poojary for her undiminished patience and perseverance in typing out several drafts of this manuscript.
Deepa Karmalkar for checking the connections and making valid corrections.
Catherine Lewis for aiding in co-ordination, and Hema’s cousin Prabha Raghavan for sorting out Hema’s file pictures.
Foreword
I t is my privilege to be associated with a book that involves two of my favourite people, actress and dancer Hema Malini, and journalist and friend, Bhawana Somaaya.
Hema and I have travelled many scripts together through many decades. As a filmmaker who directed her in four films, I would say that she is as good or as bad as the script or the director.
A lot has been written about her beauty and stardom but what has always appealed to me about her as a filmmaker is her regality. There is a halo about her presence and while for most artistes, this aura extends from their creativity to their personality, in her case, the dignity is transmitted from real to reel. Take any of her old or new films, she may play a rustic tangewali as in Sholay or a dacoit in Ramkali but she leaves her unmistakable stamp.
It is a misconception that Hema is shy and withdrawn. My first impression of her when I met her on the sets of Andaaz was of a spirited, self-reliant person. I had written the dialogues of the film and director Ramesh Sippy wanted me to explain the voice to her.
While working with her on her scenes, I discovered that she has a sharp mind in learning dialogues and is very clear about her goals. As early as 1971 she told me that no matter how busy she got with films, she would never quit dancing. ‘I will make sure that I hold at least two performances a year,’ she said.
Today, I marvel at her clarity of thought and her vision. It calls for extraordinary discipline and determination to remain as focussed as she has been. She has mentioned in the book somewhere that dance for her is bhakti ... This is evident in her commitment and her endeavour to constantly expand her horizons. It is very rare for film personalities to pursue other interests outside cinema because show business is a very demanding profession. But despite a flourishing career as an actress, marriage and kids, Hema has continued with her passion for dance.
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.
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.
There is a side to Hema’s personality that is very gregarious and affectionate which she takes great care to not reveal to outsiders. I have seen glimpses of her effervescence at my shootings. Her closest companion those days was her aunt (her mother’s youngest sister) popularly addressed as Shanta aunty by Hema’s colleagues. I called her Captain aunty because she always wore the sun cap at outdoor stints. Through Khushboo , Kinara and later Meera I have been privy to many bonding moments between the two women. There was always a lot of banter on the sets when they were together … She was the only one I think with whom Hema had her defences completely down.

Gulzar directing Hema Malini in Kinara.
What is intriguing about Hema is that her reserves build up just as suddenly. Strangers were always uncomfortable about being in her presence and she did not make any effort to put them at ease. She once confessed to me that she tried not to be so restrained but when in public, her body language altered by reflex action. I remember her expression when she said so. At that moment she had looked and felt completely helpless.
My heroine Shabana Azmi on the sets of Namkeen introduced author Bhawana Somaaya to me way back in 1980. I liked her instantly, particularly her surname Somaaya. It has such a beautiful sound to it that I intend using it as the name of one of my characters in a film some day.
Over the years Somaaya has penned several insightful features on me, followed my career diligently with constructive criticism. On my part I’m familiar with her columns and books and always recognized her writings without having to read the byline below. I have been an admirer of her objective analysis of films and her fearless stand on ideological issues.
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 sensationalize 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 a times it is difficult to determine who is the alter ego between the subject and her voiceover.
The biography traces various phases in Hema Malini’s life. There is the fragrance of vintage decades, many moods, and changing patterns. Some of them leave a haunting impression – the early days, describing mother Jaya Chakravarti’s trip to Amangudi ... and later when Hema tries to fit into the jungle world of films. Her attraction to Dharmendra, her attachment to her guruma and her recurring obsession with Lord Krishna are interesting revelations attractively strung together. Some of the chapters particularly have a brilliant summing up.
Somaaya has done as wonderful a job in putting Hema Malini’s life into words as Jaya Chakravarti did for her daughter in real life. My congratulations to both.
Mumbai, July 2006 GULZAR
Preface
T o agree to a biography reflects a state of mind. It means you are ready to reflect on your past actions. Part of