Hema Malini reveals why she stopped acting in movies: 'It's difficult to adjust to the way films are made today'

Hema Malini, Bollywood's Dream Girl, reminisces about her golden era in Indian cinema during the 1970s-80s, reflecting on drastic changes in filmmaking today.

Bollywood actor and politician Hema Malini ruled the big screen in the 1970s and 1980s. She was one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema and, with her beauty and classics such as Sholay, Seeta Aur Geeta, Baghban and Satte Pe Satta, earned the title of Bollywood's Dream Girl. In a recent interview with Zoom, Hema recalled the golden era of cinema and revealed why she no longer works in films.

Hema Malini reveals why she doesn't work in films now

Hema Malini talks about the difference in filmmaking in her and modern era. (AFP)

Hema reflected on the golden era of cinema, when she was at the peak of her career, and said, "It was a completely different era. I would say it was the golden period of the film industry, and I was lucky enough and fortunate to be a part of that journey. So many beautiful films were made during that time, especially women-oriented films. I was fortunate to get roles like Seeta Aur Geeta, and even my first film, Sapno Ka Saudagar, Khushboo and many others. When I look back today, I realise I have worked in nearly 200 films. Most producers repeated me in their projects. In those days, every film had five or six songs, and having hit songs was very important for producers."

Hema Malini is one of the most celebrated female stars in Indian cinema. Popularly known as Bollywood's Dream Girl, she made her Hindi film debut with Sapno Ka Saudagar (1968) and went on to deliver several iconic hits, including Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Dream Girl, Satte Pe Satta and Baghban.

The actor was last seen in the 2020 film Shimla Mirchi. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, the romantic drama also starred Rakul Preet Singh and Rajkummar Rao in lead roles. The film received negative reviews and underperformed at the box office.

Apart from being an actor, she also serves as a politician. Hema entered politics with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has emerged as one of its prominent public faces. She was first nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2003 and later won the Lok Sabha election from the Mathura constituency in Uttar Pradesh in 2014. She retained the seat in 2019 and was re-elected in 2024, continuing to represent Mathura in Parliament.