The Dream Girl turned public benefactor In a telephonic exclusive, politician and actress Hema Malini reveals the other sides to her
Hema Malini, yesteryears’ Dream Girl and queen of Bollywood wears many tags — actress, politician, mother and, recently, grandmother — with equal aplomb.
When we call her on her phone, she appears to be in the middle of her time with her grandchild. “I am with baby kutty… main chhoti chhoti baby doll ke pass abhi baithi hui hoon (I am sitting near my little, little baby doll) … and she is looking at me like a little doll,” she tells us as she picks up our call. Then keeping up with the baby talk with her daughter Esha Deol’s baby, Radhya Takhtani, we hear her say, “Mama kutty!! Sweetie pie.”
Elaborating about her schedule with Radhya, Hema informs, “Usually, she goes down for a walk to the huge compound at home, but when she begins to sweat, as she’s doing now, she usually wants me to accompany her to the terrace at house.” Then talking about Esha’s second child, 10-month-old Miraya Takhtani, Hema tells us how she takes her for a stroll in her pram in their compound. “So, the whole day I am busy with all of them.”
THE POLITICIAN AT WORK
Besides the grandkids’time she sets aside for herself at home. Hema has not only been working hard at taking care of the people belonging to her constituency, Mathura, but has also been taking up the matter of aiding especially the laborers from film industry. “I am active on social media, merely because I cannot reach Mathura-residents physically, owing to the lockdown. I have been using these online platforms to work for their wellbeing.”
Hema tells us about how she has been getting minute-to-minute updates from her team in Mathura. “Nobody is hungry over there as proper arrangements have been made to meet the ration needs of the people. If people have any problem, they can get in touch with me directly. I then connect them to the concerned authorities and ensure the ration reaches them.”
According to Hema, Mathura has only about 50 coronavirus cases, a well-in-control figure for a pandemic that’s left the world devastated. It took her a lot of awareness creation attempts, all of which paid off. “Slowly people began understanding why they needed to follow the instructions. I keep sending messages to my team, informing them what they should do and how to communicate it to the people,” says Hema.
COMPASSION FOR FILM INDUSTRY WORKERS
Hema Malini admits that the film industry is the most effected owing to the pandemic.
“The entertainment industry work requires about hundreds of people to get involved — right from the light boy and the spot boy to other technicians, dress department, sound, etc. I’ve heard that many producers had erected huge sets but had to stall their shooting and then later had to dismantle the erected sets. This is a huge loss. The Government should have made some announcements for the poor laborers belonging to the entertainment industry. I have been trying to draw their attention towards this issue as well.”
Then after a pause, Hema shares another thought. “You know, because it’s a world of glitz and glamour, everyone feels the entertainment industry has lot of finances. Films make money only when they turn out to be a hit.
Offering
“As a grandmother, I am busy with Esha’s kids the whole day. I take the little one for a stroll in the pram. The older one Radhya likes me to take her to the terrace”
Nobody is hungry in Mathura (her constituency) as proper arrangements have been made to meet the ration needs of the people. If people have any problem, they can get in touch with me directly. I then connect them to the concerned authorities and ensure the ration reaches them
I’ve heard that many producers had erected huge sets but had to stall their shooting and then later had to dismantle the erected sets. This is a huge loss for the film industry. The Government should have made some announcements for the poor labourers and junior artistes belonging to the entertainment industry
financial support to junior artists, who are really suffering now, would be great,” Hema shares.
Hema has also lost many a dance show due to them getting cancelled. “Even that will add to the huge loss to dancing organisations and individual performers. Even I had organised my dance show on the March 21, 2020, which I had to cancel, too. I was to perform Brinda dance. So, it seems all the cultural events also will have to bear losses,” she says.