Close X
Sunday, September 29, 2024
ADVT 
Bollywood

Got More Respect As Member Of Parliament Than As Artiste: Hema Malini

Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 Mar, 2016 01:55 PM
  • Got More Respect As Member Of Parliament Than As Artiste: Hema Malini
A successful Bharatnatyam dancer and Bollywood's evergreen 'Dreamgirl', Hema Malini, who became a BJP MP in 2004, says that she got "more respect" as a member of parliament than being an artiste.
 
“You get more respect as a member of parliament. As an artiste, I had my own dignity, but as a politician it increases... It doesn’t go down,” Hema, who represents the Mathura constituency in Lok Sabha, told IANS in interview here.
 
Recently, Hema was embroiled in allegations that she had illegally grabbed a plot of land for her dance academy Natyavihar Kalakendra Charity Trust at a nominal price of Rs.70,000 in Mumbai's Andheri area. But the Padma Shri awardee says the whole hullabaloo happened because she was a BJP MP.
 
“The Maharashtra government giving me land, created a huge ruckus. Why? Just because I am Hema Malini? I don't think it's for Hema Malini... It is because Hema is a BJP member of parliament. This is why it created a problem for people,” Hema said, adding that she had kept herself "very different in the political world".
 
On the big screen, she has essayed a range of glamorous as well as non-glam roles, proving her worth as a versatile talent. The 67-year-old has also showcased her proficiency in dance many a time in movies -- and always had the aura of a star actor.
 
But as a politician, she has reached out to bring about the changes that she wishes to see in her constituency.
 
 
 
Often, Bollywood celebrities deliberate upon gender bias in the Hindi film industry. Is the scenario same in the political world?
 
"I don't feel any inequality in my political work. To me, I am different, I don't indulge in small things. So I cannot compare myself to others," Hema said.
 
However, she said that inequality in Bollywood is nothing new. Pointing out that Bollywood has always been a male and hero-dominated industry, she explained: "Suddenly these points are coming up about inequality. Bollywood was always been as a male-dominated industry."
 
She said that the characters which Dharmendra or other actors portrayed, the heroines could not do. "For a heroine to get the same kind of acknowledgment, it has to be a heroine-oriented film and for men, a hero-dominated film. There is clearly no comparison," she said.
 
Dwelling upon the gap in pay for men and women in Hindi films, she said: "Moneywise in those days, the heroes had so much of shooting and so much of work. I don't think heroines had that much of work. Heroines had a few songs to sing, some nice interesting scenes, and that's it."
 
 
Nevertheless, the former chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation said there were some exceptions. As an actress, Hema had taken on strong roles in films like "Chaalbaaz", "Mulzim", "Satte Pe Satta" and "Sholay".

MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

'Dilwale' Crosses Rs.100 Crore Mark Worldwide; 'Bajirao Mastani' 'Unstoppable'

As both films are made on a budget of over Rs.100 crore, the coming days would be crucial for them in theatres

'Dilwale' Crosses Rs.100 Crore Mark Worldwide; 'Bajirao Mastani' 'Unstoppable'

'Karan Arjun' Brings Tears To My Eyes: Salman Khan

Superstar Salman Khan says that he gets emotional whenever he watches his 1995 released film “Karan Arjun”

'Karan Arjun' Brings Tears To My Eyes: Salman Khan

I Love Playing Football: Dino Morea

I Love Playing Football: Dino Morea
"I love playing this sport (football) and play as often as possible. We have a team also. So we enjoy both watching and playing,” the actor told reporters.

I Love Playing Football: Dino Morea

Priyanka Chopra Feels 'Lovely' To Be Back Home

Priyanka Chopra Feels 'Lovely' To Be Back Home
Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who has completed the shooting schedule of her international TV series "Quantico" for the year in Los Angeles, is back in Mumbai. And she's glad to be back home.

Priyanka Chopra Feels 'Lovely' To Be Back Home

Emraan To Shoot In Transylvania For Next 'Raaz 4'

Emraan To Shoot In Transylvania For Next 'Raaz 4'
Emraan, who has also been part of the second and the third installments of the franchise, seems gung-ho about shooting for another sequel.

Emraan To Shoot In Transylvania For Next 'Raaz 4'

Ranveer Singh Bullish Over 'bajirao Mastani' Success

There was a growth in collections on the second day (Saturday) and there has been a massive jump on the third day, so I'm very happy for the producers. 

Ranveer Singh Bullish Over 'bajirao Mastani' Success