Bhawana Somaaya Boeken

Hema Malini, the quintessential Dream Girl of Hindi cinema has truly nurtured a dream, and followed it to its realization. After being unceremoniously dropped from her first Tamil film as the director felt that she didn t have star quality , Hema signed the Hindi film she was offered opposite Raj Kapoor. Just eighteen, she soon conquered the hearts of all moviegoers with her beauty, grace and charisma. From Johnny Mera Naam to Sholay, from Meera to Baghbaan, she has portrayed a diverse range of characters that will always remain a part of the film legend. Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Sanjeev Kumar ... she worked with all the leading stars, but it was with Dharmendra that the chemistry on screen was palpable. The special bond she shared with Dharmendra set the rumour mills buzzing but defying all conventions, Hema married her Jat hero in May 1980. Striking a perfect balance between her personal and professional life, Hema maintains a dignity about the little world she shares with daughters Esha and Ahana. This intimate portrayal, the first authorized biography, by Bhawana Somaaya is a result of her long years of association with Hema as a film journalist and critic. Hema speaks to her more candidly than ever before about her life, with and without Dharmendra, her children, her mother and her twin passions of dance and acting.

On Camera Off Camera-Pages from the Past captures the euphoria and the angst of those behind the scenes and those in front of the camera, their craft, their processes of creativity and their personal highs and lows. The life of a scribe is a never-ending journey of insights, her mind is forever racing from the back-lanes of the past into the by-lanes of the present, observing, joining the dots. Sometimes, the puzzle pieces fall into place; sometimes, the intrigue persists but the process of unravelling is fascinating.

If you are a Hindi-movie buff, karva chauth immediately brings to mind 'DDLJ', and Easter probably reminds you of Anthony Gonsalves. Take a trip down the memory lane with this celebration of Indian cinema, which contains its century-long history in a fun capsule, and includes fascinating facts and milestones.