Even though Hema Malini has starred in more than 200 films, in the entire post-Soviet space she is still remembered as Zita or Gita. Now she is 72 years old, she almost stopped acting in movies, devoting herself to family and political activities.
The film “Zita and Gita” was released in 1972. The famously swirling plot in the spirit of soap operas told the story of two twin sisters separated in infancy.
However, the love story of Hema Malini and her husband, actor Dharam Singh, who was also known as Dharmendra, is in itself worthy of a film adaptation.
It all started in 1970 on the set of the movie “Beautiful and Stubborn”. Mutual feelings flared up from the very first minutes of acquaintance, but there were still many difficulties ahead of them. The first and foremost is the caste hierarchy in India. Dharmendra came from a Sikh peasant family, while Hema came from a noble and wealthy family. Hema’s mother was an influential film producer, and from an early age prepared her daughter for a career in cinema.
Parents on both sides strongly opposed the unequal union. In addition, Dharam had been married since the age of 19 and already had four children. When his wife refused to grant him a divorce, he quickly found a way out of this situation: he converted to Islam, the canons of which allow polygamy. It is worth noting that the Sikh religion originated at the intersection of Hinduism and Islam, so this step was not something out of the ordinary. Which doesn’t negate his ingenuity.
After that, Hema’s father stood in the way of the lovers. He was categorically against an unequal marriage, in which the husband is also 13 years older than his daughter. Only after the death of her father, Hema was finally able to reunite with her lover.
In the marriage, Hema gave birth to two daughters, one of whom also became an actress. Dharmendra’s sons from his first marriage also found themselves in film art.
Since the early 2000s, the couple has been actively involved in political life. Hema was elected to the Indian Parliament, joined the Indian People’s Party, and even served as its general secretary for a while.
In films, she is acting less often, focusing on working as a producer and director in her own studio “Hema Malini creations”.
Now Hema is 72 years old, but she looks much younger than her years. According to Hema, the key to her youth is dancing, yoga, children, and healthy eating.