Hema Malini, the Dream Girl of Hindi cinema turns 60 today. And looking at her today, who would say that she is 60 and a mother of two grown up daughters. Here is a beauty which is ageless and timeless. We, at Movietalkies.com would like to wish her a very Happy Birthday.

Hema Malini began her career in Hindi films with none other than Raj Kapoor as her hero in Sapnon Ka Saudagar. She then went on to work with all the leading men of her time, be it Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Manoj Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Rakesh Roshan, Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and even Rishi Kapoor. The tag of Dream Girl stuck to her after she worked in a film by the same name. She, very early in her career, became the dream girl of millions of Indians and also of Dharmendra, an actor with whom she shared a fantastic chemistry on screen, which was a result of their off screen chemistry.

They subsequently got married and now have two daughters as well, Esha and Aahana. Hema's initial career was quite like that of the other Tamilian beauty who made it big in Hindi films, Vayjayantimala. Like her, Hema too is a talented classical dancer, and like her, she shot to the top in a very short span of time. The thing about Hema has been her enduring power and her hold over the masses. Her classical beauty seems to have become brighter and more alluring by the day. She was one of those rare actresses who managed to conduct, and still does, her life with rare dignity.

Despite taking a decision to marry a much married man, she did not face the kind of brickbats like; maybe the late Smita Patil did years later. Never the most talented of actresses, she still has a strong Tamilian accent to her Hindi, Hema had that something called charisma, which saw her through. But she had a special knack for comedy which was exploited in films like Seeta aur Geeta and Sholay. Her Basanti is just as famous as the Gabbar, Kaalia, Sambha or Jai and Veeru of the epic movie. Her histrionics were well exploited by Gulzar in films like Khushboo, Kinara and Meera and Rajendra Bedi's Ek Chaddar Maili Si... Kamal Amrohi could see his Razia Sultan in her. Her regal, dignified air made her a natural in roles such as these.

These days the actress prefers to concentrate on her dance and would also like to make a film for her daughter Esha. Her forthcoming films include Ek Rani Aisi Bhi, where she plays Rajmata Scindia, and Sadiyaan, a film being made by Shatrughan Sinha. She is also a BJP politician and has campaigned for the party. That's Hema Malini, the last of the stars, who continue to endure in our hearts, for eternity. We again wish her a very happy birthday. May she continue to rule over our hearts for years and years to come…