Hema Malini’s first brush with acting was in the Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam (1963). The actor has since gone on to star in several Hindi films, but she remains as much connected to the Tamil film industry as she is with Bollywood. The artiste, who recently performed a dance ballet, Ganga, is proud of how Indian cinema has gone global, thanks to films down South. “It was a proud moment for all of us,” she says on the Oscar win for RRR (2022).

“Thanks to the producers of South films, they made Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01 (2021) also. Ek ek film South ki dekhne layak hai. The get-up Allu Arjun (actor) got into for Pushpa... I don’t think Hindi film heroes would ever be ready to do that.”

The veteran actor feels a good story is key to a film’s success. “S S Rajamouli ne kya picture banayi, Baahubali. Ab Indian films bolte hain... South cinema brought about a change, otherwise they would be called regional films [earlier]. Aaj kal films alag style mein ban rahi hain,” she adds.

Hema Malini is busy with her work as a parliamentarian as well as dance performances, and her husband, veteran actor Dharmendra, has been actively involved in showbiz. The 74-year-old was seen in the web show Taj and has Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani in the pipeline.

“He (Dharmendra) can’t live without films or being in front of the camera,” she says, adding, “He is not able to walk properly, but he is very happy acting. Whenever you see him, he is looking at his old pictures. He lives in the past, totally. But, I don’t like it. I keep saying, ‘Present mein raho, past mein kya rehna?’ Achha tha past, ek do baar on and off dekh liya. Ab aage kya karna hai, voh socho. Both of us still don’t get to spend time with each other, it’s like old times. I am busy with my live performances and he with his work.”