Hema Malini was born in
Chennai on October 16, 1948. A trained
Bharatanatyam dancer, she made her debut in films with
Raj Kapoor's ‘Sapnon Ka Saudagar’ in 1968. ‘Johnny Mera Naam’ turned out to be a golden jubilee hit, co-starring the evergreen
Dev Anand. But it was with ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’ in 1972, that she established herself as queen of box-office. She played double role as twin sisters in this movie, which won her the Best Actress Award.
She played major roles in hit films such as 'Naach Utha Sansar,' 'Sholay,' and 'Razia Sultan.' She has given several bharatanatyam performances in India and abroad. In July 2000, Hema became the first woman chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation. For her outstanding contributions, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan.
