BOLLYWOOD
PM Narendra Modi and other dignitaries are expected to attend the function
Hema Malini is 70, but she still takes our breath away, thanks to her peaches-and-cream complexion and candid demeanour. Age clearly hasn’t slowed down the ‘Dream Girl’, as she is popularly known, who has been entertaining and enthralling the audiences with her classical dance recitals. The Bollywood icon, who is proficient in Bharatnatyam, Kathak and Kuchipudi, is scheduled to perform on January 22 on the banks of the Ganges as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas celebrations in Varanasi. Apart from many political, industrial and other biggies from various walks of life, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, will be a part of the mega event.
As she speaks to us about her ballet Ganga, which is based on the theme of the holy river by the same name, Hema’s eyes light up. She says, “The concept had been with me for a long time. I wanted to make it four-five years ago, but it’s finally happening now. It was Union Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swarajji who told me, ‘Aap Ganga pe ek dance ballet karo.’ This was six-seven months ago. So, I thought, I better do it.”
The septuagenarian ensured that she roped in the best of talents to collaborate for her recital. She elaborates, “I got Ashit Desai and Alap Desai to compose the music. The compositions are Indian music with fusion. The choreography is by Bhushan Lakandri, who has done all my ballets. He is excellent and has worked extremely hard on this one, too. Shekhar Astitwa, who is the late music composer and lyricist Ravindra Jain’s special man, has penned the lyrics. Writing mein sab ne help ki. Ram Govind has done the research while Devdutt Pattanaik is the consultant. Whatever I do, I will ask him, so no one criticises me tomorrow.
The concept and story are mine. I scripted it after speaking to sadhus and sanyasis, especially Swami Avdheshanand Giriji Maharaj, who lives in Haridwar.”
The actress is involved in every aspect of her performance. When we meet her, she is supervising the costumes to be worn by the dance troupe and offers suggestions to the designer on how to make each girl stand out.
Simultaneously, she admits that she has been able to maintain herself because her passion for dance continues unabated.
Ganga promises to be a visual extravaganza, replete with well-choreographed sequences and special effects. Hema informs us, “The ballet will have a combination of many Indian dance forms. Of course, there’s a beautiful Kathak number performed by the troupe. It’s a lovely concept. I was so obsessed with this ballet that I kept thinking of it continuously and the idea struck me when I was falling asleep. To me it felt that when Ganga is being brought down to Earth, she’ll flow with full force. Of course Brahma says, ‘Let her come, I will catch her in my kamandal (water vessel).’ Vishnu tells him, ‘She is approaching with great speed. You won’t be able to control her.’
Brahma says, ‘Don’t worry, I will catch her.’ The lyrics are such that the track conveys it so aptly and amazingly. Shankar Mahadevan has sung it soulfully and wonderfully.”
Her passion for her dream project is evident when she explains to us in great detail about the effort that has gone into it. She elaborates, “It’s quite a challenge to project Ganga’s entry on Earth. Vibhore Khandelwal, who has worked on the Kingdom Of Dreams among several other shows, has done the VFX of this 90-minute ballet. His work is of high technical quality. The special effects are beautiful, the whole stage is filled with girls, performing Kathak. And they are dressed in such a way that it looks like a whole lot of water is splashing on stage. Of course,
Brahma can’t catch Ganga in his kamandal, he just stands there looking because of the force. Then Shivji catches her in his tresses.” The multi-talented personality, who’s also an MP from Mathura, admits that performing this recital while the Kumbh Mela is happening is a huge honour. She states, “So many millions of sadhus have come from all over. They will feel happy seeing the show. That’s why we are also presenting it in such a way that there’s nothing wrong with it right from costumes to everything else.”
It’s evident that Hema has dedicated a lot of time to the performance when she mentions, “We have been working on the compositions for three months and kept on making several alterations. Just two days ago, we finalised the music. Now, there will be no more changes.”
The Padma Shri recipient is excited to showcase her dancing prowess near the Ganges. Talking about the serene atmosphere, she points out, “When you stand there, you get such a good vibe. I’m blessed and excited to perform the Ganga on the banks of the holy river.”
DNA TV Show: Congress not to contest UP by-polls, lends 'unconditionally' support to SP
Venom The Last Dance movie review: Tom Hardy's final Marvel outing is a king-size disappointment
Pushpa, Stree 2 choreographer Jani Master gets bail in sexual assault case
Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the next Chief Justice of India?
KL Rahul rejects retention offer from Lucknow Super Giants, set to enter IPL 2025 auction: Report
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance to give bonus share ahead of Diwali, check last date to apply
When Hollywood actress Natalie Portman insulted a BIG Bollywood megastar, he was asked to 'get lost'
J-K: 2 porters killed, 3 soldiers injured after Army vehicle attacked in Gulmarg
Shah Rukh Khan is back on small screen with legendary tale, it will lead up to…
Pre-Diwali Skincare: 5 quick tips to achieve flawless skin this festive season
Bomb threats to Indian planes continue: More than 80 flights receive fresh security alerts
Mumbai Police arrests vegetable seller from Jamshedpur for sending death threat to Salman Khan
'Dukh toh hota hi hai': Ex-India star blames MS Dhoni for dropping him at the 'peak of career'
Amitabh Bachchan defended Aishwarya Rai after she opted out of this film due to...
THIS company lost Rs 36430 crore in 6 hours, it's not Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, Tata Motors
Narak Chaturdashi 2024: Know the date, time, rituals, significance of Choti Diwali
'Attitude is...': Ex-Tesla employee shares experience working with Elon Musk
IND vs NZ: Washington Sundar scripts history in Pune, becomes first Indian to achieve big feat
Mukesh Ambani hails Meta CEO, says Mark Zuckerberg will go down in history for...
SC issues notice to Ajit Pawar on Sharad Pawar faction's plea over NCP 'clock' symbol
'UPSC hotspot': THIS college produces most IAS, IPS officers every year
Unlock the Power of Quick Recovery: Why every windows PC needs RestoreX360
Royal Enfield first electric bike spotted, it will be unveiled on…
'Dead' baby found alive during funeral in..., what happened next will SHOCK you!
Anil Ambani gets good news ahead of Diwali, his Rs 17016 crore company receives...
Apple iPhone 16 pro is now available for just Rs 52,930 on Amazon, how you can grab this deal
Diwali 2024: 5 vastu-friendly home decor tips to welcome wealth, prosperity this Deepawali
'Breasts, not oranges': Cancer awareness campaign by Yuvraj Singh's NGO draws flak, DMRC recalls it
Virat Kohli reveals being in tears while talking to Anushka Sharma following THIS incident
Man kidnapped from chaat stall, but there's a twist, watch viral video
IND vs NZ: R Ashwin goes past Australia's Nathan Lyon to set new World Test Championship record
Dhanteras 2024: Date, significance, shubh muhurat and more
Nvidia rolls out Hindi-language AI model in India: What is it and how will it work?
Netizens not happy with this billionaire's apartment in Bengaluru, says, 'you can afford better'
'Kejriwal, Atishi looted Rs 8,500 crore for...': BJP protests at Yamuna's Chhath Ghat
Cyclone Dana trains cancelled: Over 300 trains cancelled, check full list here
Bengaluru school's Rs 1.5 lakh fees for Nursery sparks controversy, parents' reaction goes viral
THIS rule will change from November 1, Airtel, Jio, Vi, BSNL users should pay attention, it will...
Video of man dancing around Russian woman at India Gate goes viral, sparks online debate
Innovating the Future: Aniruddh Tiwari's visionary advancements in AI and aata analytics
Revolutionising Enterprise Data Frameworks: How one lead data engineer is driving innovation
Pakistani model's BOLD move, walks Miss World ramp without...; watch video
What role did IAS officer Srushti Deshmukh's family play in her UPSC success? Details here
BIG allegation against Donald Trump, ex-model says former president groped her in front of...
THIS rule made by Ratan Tata won't allow Noel Tata to become Tata Sons chairman, it is...
JioHotstar domain acquired by Delhi-based app developer, he now wants Mukesh Ambani's Reliance to...
Alia Bhatt was totally smitten with Aishwarya Rai's dance videos because...
Ind vs NZ 2nd Test: When, where to watch India vs New Zealand 2nd Test match live
When Salman Khan broke his silence on blackbuck case: ‘Just because I cannot…’
Hyundai Motor India launches historic IPO, paves way for innovation and growth in automotive sector
BIG change in world's richest people list: Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani's fortunes now...
Ananya Panday gets trolled for her outfit, netizens say ‘she is getting Janhvi-fied’
Tom Holland confirms Spider-Man 4, reveals film will go on floors in...