Mumbai, July (IANS) Veteran stalwart singer Anup Jalota paid a heartfelt tribute to Hema Malini during the celebrations marking her 60 glorious years in Indian cinema.
The singer spoke about how Dharmendra became an integral part of the legendary actress’ extraordinary journey and that her remarkable life story cannot be summed up in just a three-to-four-hour concert.
Speaking to the media present at the event, Jalota reflected on Hema Malini’s illustrious career as an actress, dancer and performer.
“There are so many songs and so many films. Her work is different, and then there is her classical dance. There are very few actresses who have taken classical dance across the world. She has done ballet productions like ‘Meera’, ‘Ganga’ and many more. She has done tremendous work in that field. There is so much variety in her life,” he said.
He also spoke about Dharmendra’s role in Hema Malini’s life, saying, “Along with that, Dharamji has joined her. Altogether, Hemaji’s life is very interesting.”
The singer revealed that he would be performing a few songs tracing different phases of Hema Malini’s life and career, at the celebration.
“We are singing two to three songs inspired by different moments of her life. We will try to make people enjoy those songs and give them a glimpse of her life’s journey through our music,” he shared.
The singer added, “Hemaji’s journey is so long that it cannot be completed in a three-to-four-hour concert,” he added.
Fondly known as the ‘Dream Girl’ of Bollywood, Hema Malini made her Hindi film debut opposite Raj Kapoor in the 1968 classic ‘Sapno Ka Saudagar’. Over the next six decades, she established herself as one of Indian cinema’s biggest female superstars with memorable performances in films such as ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Dream Girl’, ‘Satte Pe Satta’, ‘The Burning Train’, ‘Kranti’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Baghban’ and many others.
Apart from acting, Hema Malini has earned widespread acclaim as a Bharatanatyam dancer and even at 77 actively performed at stage shows.
For the uninitiated, she has performed and curated ballets based on Indian mythology and spiritual themes, including ‘Meera’ and ‘Ganga’.
Talking about Hema Malini and Dharmendra’s love story, it remains one of Bollywood’s most talked-about romances.
The two first met while working together in the late 1960s and went on to co-star in several successful films, including ‘Sholay’, ‘Dream Girl’, ‘Charas’, ‘Raja Jani’, ‘Jugnu’, ‘Azaad’ and ‘The Burning Train’.
The grand celebration commemorating Hema Malini’s 60 years in Indian cinema brought together manu stalwarts from the entertainment industry to honour the actress’ contribution to films, dance and Indian culture. It was held on July 10 in Mumbai.
–IANS
rd/