Mumbai, Oct. 16 -- India's beloved Dream Girl Hema Malini completed 77 today, having kept the film fraternity and fans alike mesmerised for decades, not just as an actress but virtually an institution, after seamlessly bridging the worlds of cinema, dance and public life with grace and persistence.
Born on October 26, 1948, in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu, to V.S.R. Chakravarthy and Jaya Chakravarthy, Hema's artistic journey began long before the camera discovered her. A student of Andhra Mahila Sabha in Chennai, she was trained in Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi and Mohiniyattam, disciplines that instilled in her an enduring poise and rhythm.
Her debut in a supporting role in "Idhu Sathiyam" (1963) marked her first screen appearance, but it was "Sapno ...