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The evening can be rightly described as one of music and memories, mixed with reverence for the late Dharmendra.
Held at the prestigious Shanmukhananda Hall on July 10, the three-hour-plus event “Hema Malini– Live in Concert: Celebrating her Diamond Jubilee” showcased melodies (Hema has a humongous list of hits) and memories galore, and Hema’s colleagues, directors and niece Madhoo also came on stage to recount their associations.
The function began with a few songs from her films, followed by a tribute to Hema’s husband, Dharmendra, who passed away last November. Directors Ramesh Sippy, Anil Sharma (who never worked with Hema but very frequently with her husband, and also was assistant director on The Burning Train featuring the couple) and Umesh Mehra, co-stars Jeetendra, Shatrughan Sinha and Rakesh Roshan and composer Anu Malik contributed their anecdotes.
The Charity Concert was produced and directed by author and RJ, Anirudh Chawla and the evening was graced by Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs of India, Ashish Shelar, Minister of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, along with Poonam Dhillon and Padmini Kolhapure and office-bearers of CINTAA (Cine & TV Artistes Association) and FWICE (Federation of Western India Cine Employees). A cheque of Rs. 10 lakh was presented to CINTAA and one of Rs. 5 lakh to FWICE.
For the first time in her 60-year film career, Hema Malini shared her remarkable journey in cinema through personal anecdotes in public, accompanied by visuals like posters, stills and videos.
A 15-piece orchestra presented a grand parade of her songs, led by a playback roster of Kavita Krishnamurthi Subramaniam, Suresh Wadkar, Anup Jalota, Shabbir Kumar, Sudesh Bhosle, Poornima, Vijeta Pandit, Padmini Kolhapure, and others along with Anu Malik.
Hema Malini paid emotional tributes to her iconic collaborations with legendary actors and filmmakers including Raj Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Manoj Kumar, Feroz Khan, Shashi Kapoor and Raaj Kumar, filmmakers like F.C. Mehra, Sushil Majumdar, Gulzar, Vijay Anand and Asit Sen and composers Kalyanji-Anandji for Johny Mera Naam, from which three songs were presented.
She stated, “Completing 60 years in Indian cinema is truly a blessing. I am overwhelmed by the love and affection I have received throughout my journey. This celebration is dedicated to my audience, my colleagues and everyone who has been a part of my life in cinema. It is also a heartfelt tribute to Dharam-ji and the countless memories we have shared together over the years.”
RJ Anirudh said, “Hema Malini-ji is not just a cinematic icon; she is an institution. Her grace, talent, discipline and contribution to both cinema and dance are unparalleled. It was an absolute honor to celebrate her incredible journey and pay tribute to a legend who continues to inspire millions across generations.”
Strangely, no mention was made by either the actress or the host of composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal, who have done the maximum number of films with her, including three of Hema’s home productions, and whose songs formed over 60 percent of those presented that day on stage, or of lyricist Anand Bakshi, whose songs formed 70 to 75 percent of what we heard!
Subramaniam did a brilliant job of singing Ae dil-e-nadaan (Razia Sultan), a personal favorite of Lata Mangeshkar among the songs she has sung for the Dream Girl, as Hema has come to be known. There was no specific mention of the extraordinary contribution both Lata and Asha Bhosle have made to Hema’s innings as one of the most musical stars of all time.
Malik recalled how, after the song for her home production, Awargee, was written, Hema turned down a suggestion from singer Ghulam Ali to compose a tune for it, stating that Malik was the composer. Poornima recollected her debut song, Hai no bolo bolo from Andaz (a song that also featured Hema Malini) while Kavita recalled how Hema’s mother had introduced her as a relative to a composer (which again was Laxmikant of the Laxmikant-Pyarelal team!).
Jeetendra, after watching their duet from Waris, stated that Hema still looked as young as she did in that 1969 film (which was her first hit) while he was now looking his age, while Rakesh Roshan (whose on-screen duet with Hema for their only film, Paraya Dhan, was screened) also commented on the vast chasm that is there in their looks then and now.
