Actress, producer, director, dancer and politician Hema Malini turned 64 on Tuesday.

Born as Hema Malini Chakravarty into a Tamil family, she started her career opposite the late Showman of Bollywood, Raj Kapoor in 'Sapno Ka Saudagar'.

The actress won her first Filmfare Award for her movie 'Seeta Aur Geeta' where she was cast opposite Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar in a double role.

She starred in films like 'Sanyasi', 'Dharmatma', 'Pratigya', 'Sholay', 'Tum Haseen Main Jawan', 'Naya Zamana' and others.

Her role as Basanti in 'Sholay' became one of post popular character in Bollywood films and the film became a blockbuster hit.

This diva of Bollywood was bold enough to portray such roles which other actresses of her time refused to do. She played the role of a young widow in 'Andaaz' and in 'Lal Patthar' she played a character with negative shades.

Hema Malini married her co-star and actor Dharmendra in 1980 and they have two daughters.


The couple was seen in films like 'Alibaba Aur 40 Chor', 'Sholay', 'Samraat', 'Seeta Aur Geeta', 'Dreamgirl', 'Charas' and 'The Burning Train' and few other films.

After taking a break from films for a number of years, Hema made a comeback with 'Baghban' in 2003 where she was cast opposite Amitabh Bachhan.

Hema Malini and her husband have been involved in politics, as members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, with the support of the Bhratiya Janata Party.

Wishing the diva her daughter and Bollywood actress Esha Deol tweeted: `Happy birthday mamma! Love u :)`

Journalist, film critic and author Ram Kamal Mukherjee, best known for his coffee-table book on actress Hema Malini, 'Diva Unveiled-Hema Malini', posted in a micro blogging site: `Wishing Happy Birthday to one of the most beautiful lady from Indian Cinema. Eternal @dreamgirlhema (Hema Malini) Stay well always.`