Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, classical dancer, filmmaker and politician. Known as the “Dream Girl” of Hindi cinema, she was one of the leading stars of the 1970s and 1980s. She is especially remembered as Basanti in Sholay (1975) and for her double role in Seeta Aur Geeta (1972). She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, received the Padma Shri in 2000, and has served as the Member of Parliament for Mathura since 2014.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Hema Malini |
| Nickname | Dream Girl |
| Born | 16 October 1948, Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Age | 78 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actress, dancer, director, politician |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Constituency | Mathura, Uttar Pradesh (Lok Sabha, since 2014) |
| Spouse | Dharmendra (m. 1980; died 2025) |
| Children | 2 (Esha Deol, Ahana Deol) |
| Known for | Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Dream Girl, Trishul, Kranti, Baghban |
Early Life
Hema Malini was born in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu, into a Tamil Iyengar family. She trained in Bharatanatyam and other classical dance forms from childhood, and dance has remained central to her life. As a teenager she appeared briefly in the Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam (1963) before moving into Hindi cinema.
Film Career
Her first lead role in Hindi was in Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968) opposite Raj Kapoor, and the film was marketed with her as the “Dream Girl”. She became a star with Johny Mera Naam (1970). In Ramesh Sippy’s Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) she played twin sisters separated at birth, and the role won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Her most famous role came in Sippy’s Sholay (1975). She played Basanti, a talkative tonga (horse-cart) driver, opposite Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan. She also starred in Dream Girl (1977), which cemented the nickname.
She remained a leading star through films such as Trishul (1978), Kranti (1981), Satte Pe Satta (1982) and Rajput (1982). In 1992 she directed and produced Dil Aashna Hai. She won acclaim again for playing the neglected elderly wife of Amitabh Bachchan’s character in Baghban (2003).
Dance
Hema Malini is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer and has performed in India and abroad for decades. She founded the dance school Natya Vihar Kalakendra and has staged large dance-dramas based on Indian mythology.
Political Career
Hema Malini joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2004. She had already been nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament, in 2003, and served there until 2009 and again from 2010 to 2012. In 2014 she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, and she was re-elected in 2019 and 2024.
Personal Life
Hema Malini married her frequent co-star Dharmendra on 2 May 1980. They have two daughters, the actress Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Dharmendra died on 24 November 2025 in Mumbai, aged 89. She later spoke of the loss as an inconsolable shock. She is a vegetarian and a supporter of animal welfare.
Awards and Honours
Selected Filmography
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Hema Malini born?
Hema Malini was born on 16 October 1948 in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu, India and is 78 years old.
What is Hema Malini known for?
Known for: Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Dream Girl, Trishul, Kranti, Baghban.
Featured image: Hema Malini at an event in Kolkata, 9 April 2007. Photo by Biswarup Ganguly, licensed under CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
