Hema Malini and Dharmendra, who celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary on May 2, made a beautiful couple on screen.
They did as many as 33 films together, many of them blockbusters.
IMAGE: Hema Malini and Dharmendra in Sharafat.
Their first film together was Asit Sen’s Sharafat in 1970, one of Hema Malini’s perfonal favourites.
“It was my first film with Dharamji and I was like, ‘My God, what a handsome man!’ The story was very powerful. It was about a professor, who rescues a devdasi‘s daughter from a life of disrepute. I had the more powerful role,” she tells Subhash K Jha.
IMAGE: Dharmendra and Hema Malini in Naya Zamana.
“Naya Zamana (which released the same year) was also a reformist drama, directed by Pramod Chakravarthy, who brought us together in many hits like Jugnu, Dream Girl and Azaad.”
IMAGE: Hema Malini and Dharmendra in Sholay.
1975 was a decisive year for the jodi. It was the year they did their most successful film, Sholay.
IMAGE: Hema Malini and Dharmendra in Seeta Aur Geeta.
“Rameshji (Sippy, Director) and I also worked together in Seeta Aur Geeta, which is one of my most favourite films. Seeta Aur Geeta had me in a double role,” Hema says.
IMAGE: Hema Malini and Dharmendra in Pratiggya.
“Dharamji was so likeable as one of my love interests. In 1975, we had another big hit called Pratiggya.”
IMAGE: Dharmendra and Hema Malini in Dost.
“Dulal Guha directed us in Pratiggya and in Dost, which featured me with Dharamji and Shatruji (Shatrughan Sinha).”
IMAGE: Dharmendra and Hema Malini in Do Dishayen.
“Another film of Dulal Guha which I like is Do Dishayen. It was not a success but a challenging film for both of us,” Hema looks back.
IMAGE: Hema Malini and Dharmendra in Dillagi.
She also recalls Basu Chatterjee’s Dillagi with affection: “Woh chali nahin. But what a nice, simple film with beautiful songs and lovely roles for both of us.”
