Hema Malini may be helmed as Bollywood’s Dream Girl, but few would know about her deep rooted connection with Chennai. She has a personal home in Chennai where she visits twice every year. Now she is all set to launch Synergy 2017, an international cultural festival, which will showcase a confluence of various dance forms.
“Initially, I was a little doubtful of having it in Chennai as I was not sure who would come forward to take the responsibility of organizing it here. Programs like these, where we bring artistes from abroad to perform, require a lot of enthusiasm and organizing capacity. People in Chennai are used to solo performances like Bharatanatyam,” said the veteran actress and dancer.
About her Tamil, Hema Malini says, “Everyone says I speak good Tamil. My daughters, too, speak Tamil, especially Esha. How can you forget your roots? Wherever I go, I make it a point to tell people that I am a Tamilian. Whatever the influence is, we can never forget our mother tongue.”
She then went on to reminisce about her days in Chennai and dance, “All the time I was put into dance by my mother. Sometimes we used to go to the beach. I spent very little time in the city, as I got acting offers and shifted to Bombay.”