I am a grandmother but will not retire: India’s Dream Girl
sharjah — The eternal ‘Dream Girl’ of the Indian film industry wowed the audiences at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) when she said that she will not stop working or performing on stage any time soon. The 69-year-old evergreen beauty was launching her biography titled Beyond The Dream Girl, penned by journalist Ram Kamal Mukherjee. She completes 50 years in Bollywood this year and was one of the first female superstars of the industry.
The book talks about her life beyond her stardom. The author said that the book is her life story as much her cinema story. Foreword for the book is written by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Hema Malini spoke about how doing yoga, working out, dancing, eating right and not partying late keep her eternal beauty. “I am constantly performing on stage. It is important to stay physically active. I am a grandmother but that doesn’t mean that I will retire. I want to continue working. I want to help poor people. I don’t want to sit back and do nothing. I want to be active all my life.”
She opined how today’s actresses do not have their individual identity. “I was the lead actress in the movies when Indian cinema was going through its golden time. I was working with actors like Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar who were larger than life. That magic is not there in today’s movies or actors. All the girls wear similar costume. During my time, all the actresses like myself, Rekha or Asha Parekh had their own identity.”
Ram Kamal said that the book gives the actor’s version on the 2015 Agra accident where her Mercedes allegedly rammed into an Alto. She reportedly fractured her nose and suffered injuries on her forehead. That accident left a minor dead and few people injured.
arti@khaleejtimes.com