The OG ‘Dream Girl’ of the Indian cinema, Hema Malini, has turned 73 years old today and we wish her- Happy Birthday!
On this special day, the actress-politician’s elder daughter Esha Deol has penned a heartfelt note to wish her.
Besides essaying distinct roles in movies, Hema Malini is also known for her graceful dancing. For the unversed, the ‘Sholay’ actress is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer. Well, it seemed quite obvious that Hema Malini & Dharmendra’s daughters- Esha & Ahana would also like to follow their mother’s footsteps of learning dance.
However, did you know Dharmendra wasn’t really open to the idea of allowing them to dance? Yes, you heard this right! Initially, Dharmendra had a conservative ideology and was against Esha and Ahana learning dance.
Talking about it, Hema Malini once reportedly stated that Dharmendra had come from a conservative mindset, while she had a modern approach to parenting.
As per a report, Hema had revealed during a 2011 magazine interview, “Initially he was so conservative that I was shocked! He would tell the girls not to wear short tops with tight-fitting jeans, and I would be like no, you live in an ancient time! If the girls were dressing up or applying makeup, it was a natural thing to do at their age. As a father, he used to be vexed that the girls would join the film line. So sometimes I had to intervene and tell him not to interfere in all this.”
“Don’t teach them to dance? They will join the film industry,” Dharmendra Ji would tell Hema. However, Hema was adamantly stood up against her actor-husband. “I could not let that happen! I am a different person and have taught them to have their thoughts and voices. My children like the fact that if there is a need, they can use me as a shield, against the world,” she added.
Today, both Esha and Ahana are not only trained Bharatnatyam dancers but also have performed occasionally with their mother Hema Malini.