Hema Malini REACTS to Naseeruddin Shah's Anxiety Over a Love Scene With Her: 'Itna Darr Lage Toh...'

Hema Malini starred in Rihaee in 1988, alongside Naseeruddin Shah and Vinod Khanna, a film that was considered bold for its time. Directed by Aruna Raje, the movie delved into the lives of women in a rural village, left on their own while their husbands worked in cities. The film boldly addressed themes of female sexuality and the double standards of society, challenging the idea that women must remain chaste while men can fulfill their desires elsewhere.

In an interview with Bharathi S Pradhan, Hema Malini revealed that she said yes to the film because she wanted to experience working under a female director. “It was by Aruna Raje. And she was there to direct it and I also liked the story. I wanted to do something different that time – like, rural women. Bada achha laga. The story was very sweet and interesting but very bold. Har role karna chahiye na? As an actor, I think, you should be able to take up anything as a challenge for yourself.”

Looking back at the shoot of the film, Hema Malini, said, “The making was so nice and decent. Beautifully done.” Host Bharathi Pradhan spoke about a love scene in the film featuring Naseeruddin Shah and how the actor was scared to go close to Hema Malini. To this, Bollywood’s Dream Girl laughed and said, “Achha hai na, itna darr lage toh.”

In the same interview, Hema Malini said that it was on her mother’s insistence that she took up the role in Baghban, a family drama directed by Ravi Chopra, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan. She had said, “I remember when I was hearing the story from Ravi Chopra, my mother was sitting with me. After he left, I said, ‘Chaar itne bade bade ladko ke maa ka role karne toh bol raha hai. How can I do all this?’ My mother said, ‘no, no. You must do it. The story is good’.”

Hema Malini, aged 75, was last seen in Shimla Mirchi, a film starring Rajkummar Rao and Rakul Preet Singh. Back in 2011, she had also produced a film, Tell Me O Khuda, for her daughter, Esha Deol.