Hema Malini Dharmendra Deol (born 16 October 1948;
) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician who is currently serving as a
member of the Lok Sabha
A Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha (abbreviated: MP) is the representative of a legislative constituency in the Lok Sabha; the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of parliament of Lok Sabha are chosen by direct elections on ...
from the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
(BJP), representing
Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
constituency since 2014. 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
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
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
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
.
Malini made her acting debut in 1963 with the
Tamil film
Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a Chen ...
''
Idhu Sathiyam''. Malini first acted in a lead role in ''
Sapno Ka Saudagar'' (1968), and went on to feature in numerous Hindi films, frequently opposite
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
, whom she married in 1980.
Malini was initially promoted as the "Dream Girl", and in 1977 starred in a
film of the same name.
She won the
Filmfare Award for Best Actress
The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by '' Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise the female performer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in ...
for her
dual role
A dual role (also known as a double role) refers to one actor playing two roles in a single production. Dual roles (or a larger number of roles for an actor) may be deliberately written into a script, or may instead be a choice made during produc ...
in the comedy ''
Seeta Aur Geeta'' (1972), and was nominated ten more times leading up to ''
Baghban'' (2003). In 2000, Malini won the
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.
List of honourees
† - Indicates ...
and in 2019 a
Filmfare Special Award
The Filmfare Special Award or Special Performance Award or Special Mention or Special Jury Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.
It acknowledges a special and unique performance and encoura ...
for 50 Years of Outstanding Contribution to Cinema.
Malini was honoured with the
Padma Shri
The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
in 2000, the fourth-highest civilian honour awarded by the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
.
[''Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri awardees.'']
''The Hindu'' 27 January 2000 Accessed 14 June 2011. In 2012, the
Sir Padampat Singhania University conferred an honorary doctorate on Malini in recognition of her contribution to
Indian cinema
The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
.
Malini served as chairperson of the
National Film Development Corporation. 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. In 2013, she received the
NTR National Award from the
Government of Andhra Pradesh
The Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as GoAP, is the Administrative division, state government and the administrative body responsible for the governance of the States of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati is the capital ...
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
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 in New York City by ...
(ISKCON).
Early life and family
Malini was born in a
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
Iyengar Brahmin family to Jaya Lakshmi and VSR Chakravarti Iyengar in
Ammankudi,
Madras Province (now
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
). She attended the Andhra Mahila Sabha in
Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
.
She studied at DTEA Mandir Marg until the 11th Standard, after which she pursued her acting career.
She follows
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
.
Her first film with
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
was ''
Tum Haseen Main Jawaan'' (1970) which marked their love story. They later married in 1980.
Dharmendra already had two sons and two daughters with his first wife Prakash Kaur, two of whom later became
Hindi cinema
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
actors –
Sunny Deol and
Bobby Deol
Vijay Singh Deol (born 27 January 1969), better known by his screen name Bobby Deol, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi cinema. A member of the List of Hindi film families#Deol family, Deol family, he is the younger son of actor Dha ...
. Malini and Dharmendra have two children,
Esha Deol (born 1981) and Ahana Deol Vohra (born 1985).
Madhoo, who played the female lead in ''
Phool Aur Kaante'', ''
Roja'' and ''
Annayya'', is Malini's niece.
On 11 June 2015, Malini became a grandmother when her younger daughter, Ahana Deol Vohra, gave birth to her first child, Darien Vohra and twin girls Astraia and Adea Vohra were born on 26 November 2020. On 19 October 2017, her elder daughter, Esha Deol, gave birth to a girl, Radhya Takhtani and another baby girl Miraya Takhtani on 10 June 2019. Businessman Vaibhav Vohra is her son-in-law and Bharat Takhtani is her ex-son-in-law.
Film career
1960–1970 (Early work)
Malini had played small roles in ''
Pandava Vanavasam'' (1965) and ''
Idhu Sathiyam'' (1962). In 1968, she was chosen to play the lead opposite
Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor (; born as Shrishti Nath Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influen ...
in ''
Sapno Ka Saudagar''
and was promoted as the Dream Girl.
[
]
1970–1979 (Established actress)
Malini played the lead in '' Johny Mera Naam'' (1970). Roles in subsequent films such as (1971) and '' Lal Patthar'' (1971)[ established her as a leading actress. In 1972, she played a double role opposite ]Dharmendra
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
and Sanjeev Kumar
Sanjeev Kumar (born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala; 9 July 1938 – 6 November 1985) was an Indian actor. Considered as one of the greatest actors of Indian Cinema, he is well remembered for his versatility and genuine portrayal of his characters. ...
in '' Seeta Aur Geeta'',[''Revisiting Seeta Aur Geeta.'']
Rediff.com 25 May 2009 Accessed July 2011 which earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award for the film.[''The Winners – 1972– The 51st Filmfare Awards.'']
''The Times of India''. 14 June 2011. The list of successful films she starred include ''Sanyasi
''Sannyasa'' (), sometimes spelled ''sanyasa'', is the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' ashramas'', the first three being '' brahmacharya'' (celibate student), '' grihastha'' (householder) and '' vanaprasth ...
'', ''Dharmatma
''Dharmatma'' () is a 1975 Indian Hindi-language thriller film produced and directed by Feroz Khan. The cast includes Khan, Hema Malini, Rekha, Premnath, Imtiaz Khan, Danny Denzongpa, Farida Jalal, Ranjeet, Helen, Madan Puri, Jeevan, ...
'' and '' Pratigya'', ''Sholay
''Sholay'' (, ) is a 1975 Indian epic action-adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father G. P. Sippy, and written by Salim–Javed. The film is about two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), hired ...
'', '' 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
Charas is a cannabis concentrate made from the resin of a live cannabis plant (''Cannabis sativa'' either ''Cannabis indica, ''Indica' subspecies or ''Sativa'' subspecies) and is handmade in the Indian subcontinent. The plant grows wild thr ...
'', '' Jugnu'', '' Apna Khoon'', '' Azaad'' (1978) and '' Dillagi'' (1978).
Her chemistry with Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
was appreciated in and '' Prem Nagar''. Their subsequent films such as '' Mehbooba'' and '' Janta Hawaldar'' did not, however, do well at the box office.
1980–1997 (Commercial success)
In the 80s Malini continued to star in big budget films such as ''Kranti
''Kranti'' () is a 1981 Indian historical drama film, produced, edited, dialogue and directed by Manoj Kumar, with the story and screenplay written by Salim–Javed. It stars an ensemble cast, consisting of Dilip Kumar in the title role along ...
'', '' Naseeb'', '' Satte Pe Satta'' and ''Rajput
Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
'', 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
Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din ( Hindustani (Hindi): रज़िय्यत उद दुन्या व उद दीन, ; 1205 – 15 October 1240, ), popularly known as Razia Sultan, was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part ...
'', '' Baghavat'', and '' Raaj Tilak''. She continued to be paired with Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
in movies such as '' Dard'', ''Bandish
Bandish, cheez or gat is a fixed, melodic composition in Hindustani vocal or instrumental music. It is set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhawaj, a steady drone, and melodic accompaniment by a sarangi, ...
'', '' Kudrat'', '' Hum Dono'', ''Rajput'', '' Babu'', '' Durgaa'', '' Sitapur Ki Geeta'' and '' Paap Ka Ant'', some of which were major successes in her career.
In the 1990s, she produced and directed the 1992 film '' Dil Aashna Hai'', starring Divya Bharti
Divya Bharti (; 25 February 1974 – 5 April 1993) was an Indian actress who predominantly worked in Hindi and Telugu movies. Known for her acting, vivacity and beauty, she was among the highest-paid Indian actresses of her time. She received ...
and Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
in the leading roles. She also produced and directed her second feature film ''Mohini'' (1995), starring her niece Madhoo and actor Sudesh Berry
Sudesh Berry is an Indian actor and personality known for his works in Hindi cinema and List of Indian television actors, Indian television.
Films
Television
References
External links
*
Living people
Indian male film actors
...
in the leading roles. She then focused on dancing and television work, only occasionally appearing in films. In 1997, she acted in Vinod Khanna
Vinod Khanna (6 October 1946 – 27 April 2017) was an Indian actor, film producer, and politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. Recognised as a style and fashion icon, he wa ...
's production '' Himalay Putra''.
2000(s)–present
After taking a break from films for a number of years, Malini made a comeback with '' Baghban'' (2003),[ for which she earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination. She also made guest appearances in the 2004 film '' Veer-Zaara'' and the 2007 film '' Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'', in addition to a supporting role in the 2006 film ''Baabul''. In 2010, she acted in '' Sadiyaan'' alongside fellow veteran actress Rekha. In 2011, she produced and directed her third feature film '' Tell Me O Kkhuda'' which featured both her husband Dharmendra and her daughter Esha Deol, which was a box office failure. In 2017 she acted in the film '' Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi'' in the role of ]Vijaya Raje Scindia
Vijaya Raje Scindia (born Lekha Divyeshwari Devi; 12 October 1919 – 25 January 2001), known popularly as the Rajmata Scindia, was an Indian politician and consort of the last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior, Jiwajirao Scindia, in British Raj. ...
of Gwalior, with Vinod Khanna as her husband; unfortunately it was Khanna's last film. The film was directed by Gul Bahar Singh. The film was released on 21 April 2017. Her latest film is '' Shimla Mirchi'', starring Rajkummar Rao and Rakul Preet Singh. The movie was theatrically released in India on 3 January 2020 and made available on Netflix on 27 January 2020.
In 2021, she was honoured with the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award at the 52nd International Film Festival of India.
Political career
In 1999, Malini campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
(BJP) candidate, Vinod Khanna, a former Bollywood actor, in the Lok Sabha Elections in Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur is a city in the Majha region of the Indian state of Punjab, between the rivers Beas and Ravi. It houses the administrative headquarters of Gurdaspur District and is in the geographical centre of the district, which shares a bord ...
, Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
. In February 2004, Malini officially joined the BJP.[''Hema Malini joins BJP.'']
''The Hindu'' 20 February 2004 Accessed 14 June 2011. From 2003 to 2009, she served as an MP to the upper housethe Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of the Parliament of India and functions as the institutional representation of India’s federal units — the states and union territories.https://rajyasabha.nic.in/ It is a key component o ...
, having been nominated by the then President of India
The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...
, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. In March 2010, Malini was made general secretary of the BJP, and in February 2011, she was recommended by Ananth Kumar, the party general secretary.[''Karnataka News : BJP picks Hema Malini for RS.''](_blank)
''The Hindu'' 19 February 2011 Accessed 14 June 2011. In the 2014 general elections for the Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
, Malini defeated the Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
incumbent, Jayant Chaudhary ( RLD) by 3,30,743 votes.
In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Hema Malini retained her Mathura Lok Sabha seat with comfortable margin. While Hema Malini won 6,71,293 votes, her nearest rival Kunwar Narendra Singh received 3,77,822 votes, so that she won the Mathura seat by around 3 lakh votes.
In 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Malini won Mathura Lok Sabha constituency by a huge margin against Congress candidate Mukesh Dhanger, making it a hat-trick from Mathura.
Controversy
In 2016 the Bombay High Court entertained a Public Interest Litigation challenging allotment of a plot of land in Mumbai to Malini's dance academy. The petitioner Ketan Tirodkar sought to file a cheating case against the actress for defrauding the government to allot a piece of land which was reserved for gardens. The State Government of Maharashtra informed the Bombay High Court that Malini had not yet accepted the land allotted to her.
Association with social causes
Malini is a supporter of the animal rights organisation, PETA India. In 2009, she wrote a letter to the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner urging him to ban horse carriages from Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
's busy streets. In 2011, she wrote to the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh
Jairam Ramesh (born 9 April 1954) is an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. He is a Member of Parliament representing Karnataka state in the Rajya Sabha. In July 2011, Jairam was elevated to the Union Council of Minis ...
, urging him to ban bullfighting
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
('' jallikattu''). She said, "My friends at PETA have organised investigations at Jallikattu events and documented that bulls are pulled roughly by their nose rings, punched, pummelled, hit with sharp sticks and crammed into trucks so tightly that they can barely move". PETA named Malini their "PETA Person of the Year" for 2011. As a vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
, she said, "Knowing that my food choices are helping the planet and animals too, makes me happy".
Other works
Dance
Malini is a trained Bharatanatyam
''Bharatanatyam'' is a Indian classical dance form that came from Tamil Nadu, India. It is a classical dance form recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas of Hinduism and Jainism.< ...
dancer. Her daughters Esha Deol and Ahana Deol are trained Odissi
''Odissi'' (''ଓଡ଼ିଶୀ'') also referred to as ''Orissi'' in old literature, oldest surviving classical dance of India, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the Hindu temple, temples of Odisha – an eastern ...
dancers. They performed with Malini in a production called ''Parampara'' for charitable events. She also performed with her daughters at the Khajuraho Dance Festival.
Malini studied Kuchipudi with Vempati Chinna Satyam and Mohiniattam with Kerala Kalamandalam, Kalamandalam Guru Gopalakrishnan. She has played a number of dance roles including Narasimha and Rama in Tulasidas's ''Ramcharitmanas''. In 2007, she performed in Mysore, Mysuru on the eve of Kullu Dussehra, Dussehra, where she played the roles of Sati (Hindu goddess), Sati, Parvati and Durga. In 2024, for the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, she played as Sita in a theatre drama retelling of the Ramayana.
Malini owns the Natya Vihar Kalakendra dance school.
Television
Hema Malini directed and produced serials for Doordarshan like Terah Panneh, Rani Laxmibai, Bharti, and Noopur. She also appeared as anchor for weekly Rangoli on Doordarshan.
Malini has appeared in television serials such as ''Jai Mata Ki'' (1999, Doordarshan), directed by Puneet Issar. She played the role of goddess Durga.
Other television series appearances include ''Kamini Damini'' on Sahara One where she played twin sisters and ''Noopur'' which Malini directed and in which she played a Bharatanatyam dancer. Malini also starred in ''Yug (TV series), Yug'', a fictional series depicting the story of Indian freedom fighters and their struggle to win freedom for India.
Production and promotional work
Malini was the editor of ''New Woman (magazine), New Woman'' and ''Meri Saheli'', Hindi women's magazine. In 2000, Malini was appointed as the first female chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation for a term of three years.[
In 2007, Malini entered a promotional contract with Kent RO Systems, makers of a mineral water purifier system. Malini also became a brand ambassador for Pothys, a textile showroom in ]Chennai
Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...
.
Artistry and legacy
Malini is considered among the finest actresses of Hindi cinema
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
and is regarded for her range of roles, her dance, beauty and her styling. During the 1970s and early 1980s, she was among the highest paid actress. She appeared in ''Box Office India''s "Top Actress" list 16 times, from 1970 to 1985 and topped the list 11 times (1972-1979, 1981-1983). ''Rediff.com'' placed Malini in their "Bollywood's Best Actresses of all time" list. In 2022, Malini was also placed in ''Outlook India''s "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list. ''Filmfare'' included Malini's performances in ''Seeta Aur Geeta'' and ''Sholay'' at 46th and 41st place respectively, in its list of Bollywood's "80 Iconic Performances".
Malini was known as among the style icons of the 70s, with funky polka dot blouses as her style statement. She was placed in ''Times of India''s "50 Beautiful Faces" list. Malini has been cited in the media as the "Dream Girl" of Bollywood. Bindu Batra of ''India Today'' noted, "Her rise was ascribed partly to her youth and largely to her cultivated resemblance to Vyjayanthimala." Rachit Gupta of ''Filmfare'' feels her "dominance was unprecedented" and said, "Malini defined everything that the Dream Girl tag stood for. She could dance, act, emote with equal ease." Rajeev Masand termed her the "radiant superstar". Dinesh Raheja of ''Rediff.com'' praised her "takes-your-eyes-prisoner beauty" and "tinkling laugh" and noted, "Hema was never in danger of being mistaken for a thespian. But for sheer screen presence, she was hard to beat."
Malini was placed 18th among the "Greatest Bollywood Stars", in a UK poll celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema in 2013. Malini received the "Living Legend Award" by FICCI in recognition of her contribution to the Indian entertainment industry. The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival screened several films starring Hema Malini in a special tribute programme She has been the recipient of Rajinikanth Legend award (2010), Rajiv Gandhi Award (2010), and ANR National Award (2011). For her presence around the world, she received the International Personality of the Year award at the 12th Asian Achievers Awards
Three biographies of Malini have been published, , namely - ''Hema Malini: Diva Unveiled'', that released in 2005 ''Hema Malini: The Authorized Biography'' by Bhawana Somaaya in 2007, and ''Hema Malini: Beyond the Dream Girl'' by Ram Kamal Mukherjee in 2017,
Filmography
Accolades
Malini received eleven Filmfare Award for Best Actress
The Filmfare Award for Best Actress is given by '' Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise the female performer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The award was first given in ...
nominations, but won only one among them, for ''Seeta Aur Geeta'' (1972). In 1999, she received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.
List of honourees
† - Indicates ...
.
Bibliography
*
*
*
See also
* List of awards and nominations received by Hema Malini
* List of Indian film actresses
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malini, Hema
1948 births
Living people
People from Thanjavur district
Indian female dancers
Indian film actresses
Nandi Award winners
Indian television actresses
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Hindi-language film directors
Indian women film producers
Film producers from Uttar Pradesh
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Actresses in Tamil cinema
Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh
Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha
Indian women film directors
Indian actor-politicians
Rajya Sabha members from Karnataka
Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh
India MPs 2014–2019
20th-century Indian actresses
21st-century Indian actresses
Women in Uttar Pradesh politics
Dancers from Tamil Nadu
21st-century Indian women politicians
20th-century Indian women politicians
20th-century Indian politicians
Women members of the Lok Sabha
Indian Vaishnavites
Screenwriters from Uttar Pradesh
Indian women screenwriters
Indian television directors
Indian television producers
21st-century Indian people
20th-century Indian dancers
21st-century Indian dancers
21st-century Indian women artists
20th-century Indian women artists
Businesswomen from Tamil Nadu
Filmfare Awards winners
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Indian women television producers
India MPs 2019–2024
Women members of the Rajya Sabha
Women in Karnataka politics
Indian women television directors
India MPs 2024–2029
Indian Hindus