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Exclusive! Hema Malini: I was waiting for Esha's pregnancy
Hema Malini talks about daughter Esha's pregnancy & godh-bharai and grand-son Darien
Esha Deol Takhtani is having her second godh bharai today (she is due in October) at the ISKON temple in Juhu at 11 am. Jaya Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor are expected to attend it along with other celebs from B-Town and Esha’s friends. We catch up with the actress-danseuse-politician on that, being a grandmother for the second time, singing and on politics…
Talking about the godh bharai, Hema says, “All arrangements have been made. We did a simple traditional godh bharai South Indian style on Sunday at our Juhu bungalow and today’s godh bharai ceremony has been organized by Bharat’s mother and Esha’s mother-in-law at ISKON and will be carried out according to Sindhi rituals. From my side, I have invited Sridevi and Jayaji (Bachchan) because Esha is very fond of Jayaji. Jayaji is like a mother to her and keeps asking about her. They share a very sweet relationship.”
How did she react when she heard about Esha’s pregnancy? She says, “I was waiting for that (Esha’s pregnancy) and sensed it was happening but I didn’t want to ask. Esha told me when the time comes I will tell you. I said fine, I will wait. But we were always praying for the best to happen so we are very excited about it! My daughter is staying with me and I am looking after her as a mother. We keep talking about kya karna hai, kaise karna hai…”
Her younger daughter Ahana has a three-year-old baby boy Darien. Hema is becoming a grandmother for the second time with Esha’s baby… Hema says, “Ahana’s son Darien and my first grandchild is such a pleasure to be with. Every minute I miss him when he’s not there. If I am here in Mumbai I try and go to drop him off at school also and he loves me too much. Recently I sang eight bhajans and the first Palna jhule Nand Gopal was one of them. It was composed when my Ahana was expecting so I was thrilled and would practice singing it often at home. I said I would sing the bhajan the moment the baby comes and it happened that way. I recorded the song after he was born. The song is about Yashoda maiyya is singing the song to baby Krishna when he is in the cradle but she doesn’t know that he is the Lord of the Universe.”
Hema Malini says her singing happened by chance though she is not a professional singer, “It has been happening for the last couple of years. I was asked to sing by Narayan Agarwalji who makes CDs with top artists. All the songs have been composed by various great legends like Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Jasrajji and Rajan Sajan Mishra. A dialogue of mine comes before every song of mine to make it more unique and individualistic.”
The actress who is the MP of Mathura takes her role seriously. She feels we all have to contribute in some way as the citizens of India. “You enjoy so much name and fame but is it only for you to enjoy? You have to give it back and I want every artist who has scaled the heights to realize and do for the people. Earlier people would tell me how can Bollywood artists go to the public as my value would go down? If I am asked to attend a program we charge for it and people pay. But in politics when they call me to campaign it’s a free service – for the nation, country and that I want my party (BJP) to come to power. I have worked for that party for more than 10 years. They call me to campaign and tell me if I come it pulls in lots of crowds. That is helpful for the party because so many fans of mine come to watch and when I say something it definitely changes into voting also so I have been a party worker for the last so many years.”
She adds that as a party worker whenever and wherever they have asked her to go, she has gone and campaigned. “I have done it sincerely and today I am so happy that my party is in power and am part of that party. When the country is growing so big today and we are so proud of having Narendra Modiji as our Prime Minister of this country, it’s a big honour for me to be in that party and part of that transition that is taking place in our country. What he instructs I go and do. That time I don’t feel I am a Bollywood artiste and should go into hiding. I just have my own security and team. I go to the villages and talk to the women and children. Many MP’s don’t do what I am doing. Kabhi accident ho jata hai, kabhi gir pade, kabhi khaana nahi mila… chalo late khaalenge, koi baat nahi. We keep packets of food in the car and eat that on the road. But it feels good. I am doing some work. When I talk to some rich women in Mathura they don’t know where these villages are when I talk about what problems they are facing. I tell them I am shocked. I am from Mumbai and you are from Mathura and living here since your birth and you don’t even know where these villages are or what problems they face? Is it not your duty to go and see but you are not bothered, it seems. Everybody needs to contribute in some way to the nation.”
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