Hema Malini

Hema Malini Biography

Hema Malini, born on 16 October 1948 in Ammankudi in what was then Madras Province, is an Indian actress, director, producer, classical dancer and politician. She was born into a Tamil Iyengar family to Jaya Lakshmi and V. S. R. Chakravarti Iyengar and has two elder brothers. She attended the Andhra Mahila Sabha in Chennai and studied at DTEA Mandir Marg until the eleventh standard, after which she left school to pursue acting. Promoted early in her career as the “Dream Girl”, she became one of the most successful leading actresses of mainstream Hindi cinema.

Malini made her acting debut in 1963 in the Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam and first played a Hindi lead opposite Raj Kapoor in Sapno Ka Saudagar (1968). Johny Mera Naam (1970), Andaz and Lal Patthar (both 1971) established her, and her dual role in Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress — the first of eleven Best Actress nominations that ran through to Baghban (2003). Other notable films include Sholay (1975), Dream Girl (1977), Meera (1979), Kranti, Naseeb, Satte Pe Satta and Razia Sultan (1983). She appeared with Dharmendra in 28 films, and turned filmmaker with Dil Aashna Hai (1992), Mohini (1995) and Tell Me O Kkhuda (2011), all of which she directed and produced.

A trained Bharatanatyam dancer who also studied Kuchipudi, she has performed with her daughters Esha and Ahana — both trained in Odissi — in productions such as Parampara. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in February 2004, served in the Rajya Sabha as a presidential nominee from 2003 to 2009 and again from Karnataka in 2011–2012, and has been the Lok Sabha member for Mathura since 2014, retaining the seat in 2019 and 2024. She married Dharmendra on 2 May 1980; he died on 24 November 2025 at the age of 89, ending a 45-year marriage.

Basic Details

• Name: Hema Malini
• Nickname: Dream Girl
• Date of Birth: 16 October 1948
• Age: 77 (as of July 2026)
• Birthplace: Ammankudi, Madras Province (now Tamil Nadu), India
• Nationality: Indian
• Profession: Actress, director, producer, dancer, politician
• Years Active: 1963 – present
• Parents: Jaya Lakshmi and V. S. R. Chakravarti Iyengar
• Siblings: Two elder brothers
• Education: Andhra Mahila Sabha, Chennai; DTEA Mandir Marg (to the eleventh standard)
• Spouse: Dharmendra, married 2 May 1980; he died on 24 November 2025
• Children: Esha Deol (born 1981) and Ahana Deol Vohra (born 1985)
• Grandchildren: Five — Darien, Astraia and Adea Vohra; Radhya and Miraya Takhtani
• Political Affiliation: Bharatiya Janata Party (joined February 2004)
• Constituency: Mathura, Uttar Pradesh (Lok Sabha, since 2014)

Career Highlights

Awards and Honours

• Filmfare Award for Best Actress — Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), with ten further nominations
• Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (2000)
• Filmfare Special Award for 50 Years of Outstanding Contribution to Cinema (2019)
• Padma Shri, Government of India (2000)
• SaMaPa Vitasta Award for contribution to Indian culture and dance (2006)
• Honorary doctorate, Sir Padampat Singhania University (2012)
• NTR National Award, Government of Andhra Pradesh (2013)
• Served as chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation