Sanjay Bhansali On Why Hema Malini Will Always Be The The Ultimate  Diva

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a  huge fan of  ‘Dream Girl’ Hema Malini.  “She is  and always  will be the  most beautiful  actress ever  The camera loves Hemaji’s  face.  Every actor/actress has a best profile. With her there is no favourite profile.She  looks  just as  beautiful  from every angle.”

Speaking  of his favourite Hema  Malini  films , Bhansali says, “I especially love her  in her early films like  Johnny Mera Naam, Abhinetri, Raja Jani,Gehri Chaal , Sharafat and Andaz and of course Seeta Aur Geeta.I’ve seen these  films  over and  over again and I know  every frame  by heart. Oh yes,  and I love her  chulbuli songs  especially Duniya jab jalti hai hai re bada maza  aata hai in Dost and Prem ka rog bada bura in Dus Numbri.”

Bhansali recalls her boxoffice clout in the 1970s and 80s. “Movies were bought by distributors solely because  of  her  presence. It didn’t matter who  the  hero was , if Hemaji was in a film.”

 The filmmaker’s one  regret  is that he  has  so far not worked with her.  “I don’t know how I’ll direct her. One can’t tell Hemaji what to  do and what  not to do. The camera  loves her so  much. Who am I to intervene?”

Hemaji too loves Bhansali’s cinema. He recalls how at  the premiere of one of his  films that Hemaji  attended , there a delay in starting the  screening because a certain actress  was late in arriving.

Hemaji  had arrived on the dot  at 9 pm.When there was  a delay she  got restless wondering aloud why people  need to be fashionably late keeping everyone else waiting. Hemaji  did wait for the  unpunctual actress to  arrive, but gave her  a mouthful  before settling down to watch  the  film.