Veteran actress Hema Malini tasted tremendous success in Bollywood during her career, becoming a beloved figure and earning the title of the ‘dream girl’ among many fans. However, not many are aware that her Guru Maa, Indira Devi, played a crucial role in guiding her towards success.
In an exclusive interview with Lehren TV, Hema spoke about her Guru Maa and the invaluable support she provided. ‘She guided me at every step. At a certain point, I was doing film after film but didn’t know what to do next. It was then that my Guru Maa, Indira Devi, advised me to continue with dance,’ the actress revealed.
Guru Maa also provided spiritual guidance to Hema Malini. ‘She encouraged me to do a film on Meera, as she herself was a devotee of Lord Krishna,’ Hema added.
When filmmaker Premji approached Hema with a film proposal, she suggested making a film on Meera and recommended lyricist Gulzar as the director.
During the interview, Hema also shared how Shah Rukh Khan was cast in his first Bollywood film. ‘For my directorial debut film, Dil Aashna Hai, I was searching for a fresh face. At that time, I used to watch Fauji, and while my film’s script was being prepared, I wanted someone new for a particular character. We decided to bring in something fresh,’ she explained.
She continued, ‘I thought this boy (referring to Shah Rukh Khan) had a unique freshness about him, and I wanted him in my film. Then, my sister contacted him, he came, met Dharmendra, and that’s how it all started.’
Interestingly, even though Dil Aashna Hai was Shah Rukh’s first film, Deewana was released earlier. Both movies featured Divya Bharti in the lead role. However, it was the opportunity given by Hema Malini that paved the way for Shah Rukh Khan’s remarkable journey in Bollywood.”