As we celebrate the birthday of Hema Malini, our very own Dream Girl we look back and reflect on all the wonderful and memorable characters that she has portrayed and the beautiful cinema that she has left behind for us to cherish.

Did you know that she’s a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and that’s also the classical dance form her daughters are trained in. Seeing the three of them perform together is truly magical.We feel privileged to have witnessed the magic of her dance and her acting in our lifetimes and we pray that she sees many more joyous years ahead so she can continue to amaze us with her gift.

1) Johny Mera Naam

Though Hema Malini officially made her Bollywood debut with Sapnon Ka Saudagar in 1968 opposite the legendary Raj Kapoor, she actually tasted success for the first time with Johny Mera Naam.

The movie which was a huge blockbuster had the eternally lovable Dev Anand wooing her and it actually made her a superstar overnight!

2) Seeta Aur Geeta

This one has  to be my favorite Hema Malini movie. Her versatility and her  vivaciousness just shines so bright as she effortlessly plays two twin  sisters with completely different personalities who swap places. I can  never get enough of watching the carefree, bubbly, super fun and rather  brash Geeta who’s a street performer and has a blast teaching Seeta’s  evil aunt a lesson.

Hats off to Hema ji for carrying the movie on her shoulders and making it a roaring success. She even won her first Filmfare Best Actress award for this one.

3) Sholay

Basanti has to be one of the most memorable characters in Bollywood history. Hema Malini’s superb comic timing, her adorable conversations with her horse Dhanno and the filmi Naach Basanti’ dance for Gabbar.Her awfully talkative but lovable village beauty portrayal have all become such a huge part of our love for cinema.Sholay would never have been complete without the innocent and delightful presence of B Town’s original rockstar Basanti!

4) Andaz

With Andaz, Hema Malini challenged convention and played the role of a widow.

The challenging nature of the character and her sensitive approach towards it ensured she received a lot of critical acclaim for this one.

5) Lal Pathar

This one is truly special as Hema Malini very courageously took up a negative character which very few of her contemporaries would dare to attempt.

She played Raj Kumar’s scheming mistress and her remarkable acting skills compelled us to empathize even with the other woman.

6) Khushboo

Some of Hema Malini’s best work in the 70s was with Gulzaar Saab. Even without a hint of the glam image that she had in her earlier films, she managed to make everyone go wow with her introspective and endearing characters in Khushboo, Kinara and Meera.

Clearly some of her best work, it made people see the actress behind the insanely beautiful woman that she is.

7) Raja Jani

Hema Malini and Dharmendra made an enchanting pair onscreen.  And dont’ they make an adorable couple off screen too?

So whether it was the blockbuster Sholay, the mesmerizing film Jugnu or the massively successful Raja Jani they only helped her achieve even greater heights in her film career.As the street dancer Shanno in Raja Jani, Hema Malini was totally convincing and full of life.

8) Satte Pe Satta

I totally loved this movie about seven uncivilized and unkempt brothers living on a farm. Also, totally adore the character of the nurse, Indu that Hema ji plays as she tries to humanize the crazy brothers.

She has some awesome chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan in the movie. And I love the fun she has making the massively untidy house the brothers call home livable, getting their food and stuff in order and basically teaching them how to love.

9) Dream Girl

This one has to be the most cherished movie title in the list. For her Bollywood debut, Hema Malini was referred to as the Dream Girl, so it was perfect when she got to act in a movie with the same name.

Hema ji played five different characters in this movie where she was again cast opposite her real life love, Dharmendra. Dream Girl truly does sum up the magnetic charm that Hema Malini personifies. Awe inspiring beauty!

10) Baghban

In 2003, Hema Malini made a comeback with the heart wrenching portrayal of an elderly woman abandoned by her children. Her chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan and her timeless beauty make her look so perfect for the part. This one sure made me cry but no one’s complaining.

We’re super excited about Hema Malini’s directorial venture, Tell Me Oh Khuda ( out this Diwali)  with daughter Esha Deol in the lead role.

We at MissMalini wish Hema ji a birthday that brings her all the joy in the world and a lot of success with her dream project! Keep shining always!