Hema Malini recalls she didn't want to play a mother of four in Baghban

Hema Malini has explained how her mother had a key role in her selecting scripts like Baghban and passing on films like Raj Kapoor's Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

Hema Malini said that she wasn't convinced initially to play a ‘mother of four’ in Ravi Chopra's 2003 family drama Baghban. The film featured her in a role opposite Amitabh Bachchan and Baghban went on to become a box office success. (Also Read: Hema Malini on living away from Dharmendra: ‘Nobody wants to be like that. But I am not sulking')

Hema Malini was hesitant to play a mother of four in Baghban

Hema was in her early 50s when she was offered Baghban. She was on a sabbatical prior to that and acted only in one-offs like Kamal Haasan's 2000 Tamil-Hindi bilingual Hey Ram. After Baghban, Hema starred opposite Amitabh again in Yash Chopra's 2004 blockbuster Veer-Zaara.

Hema recalls how she signed Baghban

In an interview with Lehren Retro, Hema said, “I remember when I was hearing the story from Ravi Chopra, my mother was sitting. After he left, I said, ‘Chaar itne bade bade ladka ka role karne ko bol raha hai (He’s asking me to play the mother of four grown-ups). How can I do this.' But my mother said, 'No no no, you must do it!' I said, ‘Why?’ ‘No, the story is very good. You must do it.’ How she was after me. I said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.' But before that I felt… See, before that, I wasn't doing films. After a long gap, I was working. So I thought, ‘Why should I do this?’ But she said, ‘No, you must do this. The role is very nice.’"

Hema was offered Satyam Shivam Sundaram

Zeenat Aman was eventually cast in Satyam Shivam Sundaram, the 1978 romantic film directed by Raj Kapoor. It starred his younger brother Shashi Kapoor in the lead role opposite Zeenat. The film also starred Padmini Kolahpure and was produced by RK Studio.