Dream girl of the Bollywood Hema Malini said that she would have immediately accepted to act, if Satyajit Ray had offered her to perform in any film.
‘It could be something special. Just think Hema Malini is acting in Satyajit Ray’s film! But, unfortunately it never happened,’ said Hema Malini adding she never acted in any Bengali film in her
over four decades of acting career.‘I don’t find any other Bengali film director of that height where my appearance would be justified. And I don’t know anything about Bangladeshi film directors. But, if any renowned director from Bangladesh approaches me with a good story, I may consider,’ said Hema Malini smiling in a press conference held on Thursday evening in Hotel Sonargaon.
She came here in Dhaka as the brand ambassador of the Indian coconut oil brand Shalimar. It was her second visit to Dhaka. ‘About eight years ago I came here at the same venue to perform in a cultural show being invited by Indian musician Bappy Lahiri,’ Malini said.
‘I don’t find any difference between Kolkata and Dhaka. So, it is almost my home. And I know the Bangladeshi artistes who frequently visit and perform in India,’ she added.
In response to a question related to the contemporary Bollywood films, Hema Malini said, ‘Bollywood is the fastest growing film industry in the world and it has attained a global market these days. Technically it has developed a lot. Many talented artistes have come to the industry and doing well. But, not many good stories are coming these days compared to our era. Classic films featuring the real life tales used to be produced those days.
‘In fact, that was the golden era of Indian film industry,’ said the Padma Shri and The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winning actress, who ruled the industry appearing in all time hit films such as Sholay, Khushboo and Razia Sultan released in 1970s and 1980s.
‘Filmmaking these days have become more difficult as it has to compete with TV shows and western films. Perhaps the taste of the audience has also changed and people these days would not love to watch films featuring rural life, which was a popular theme in our days. It happened due to westernisation,’ said Hema Malini, now busy with acting and directing films and appearing on reality shows.
The Bollywood superstar, who is also involved with social and political activities, admits that women are portrayed these days in more erotic manner, when women used to be presented as the symbol of beauty in her days.
The well-trained Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer Hema Malini considers dance a part of her life. ‘I regularly practice dance and I’ll continue dance till my last breath. It’s like such a strong bond that if I leave it, my life is lost,’ said Hema Malini, who runs a dance school named Natya Vihar Kalakendra.
She further said that she leads a very happy life with her two daughters, Esha and Ahana, who are also well trained dancers and actresses.
Hema Malini emerged as ‘dream girl’ through the film Sapno Ka Saudagar opposite Raj Kapoor, which was released in 1968. A majority of her films released during this period were highly successful; Sanyasi, Dharmatma and Pratigya. Sholay, released in 1975, became a box-office phenomenon.
After a break, Hema Malini made a comeback in the early part of this century and acted brilliantly in films such as Baghban and Veer Zara.
-With New Age input
