Hema Malini’s ‘Durga’ performance at 77 has a story that goes back to childhood

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Bollywood's own 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini has played some of Hindi cinema's most memorable characters, but her latest appearance reminded audiences that there is another side to the veteran star. At 77, she returned to the stage with her popular dance ballet Durga, bringing the story of the Hindu goddess to life during the opening day of Navratri.

The performance took place on Sunday (11) at the Classic Convention Centre in Telangana, as part of the Agarwal Samaj's Agra Dandiya Navratri celebrations. The event also marked Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti.

Sharing photographs from the evening, Hema described the experience as a special one. "Performed last evening at the Classic Convention Centre for the Agarwal Samaj, Telangana's 'Agra Dandiya Navratri celebrations'. It also marked Maharaja Agrasen Jayanti on 11.10.2026. It was a lovely, special feeling performing my most popular ballet, Durga, on the first day of Navratri, and I felt truly blessed."

For the actor, the performance was more than another public appearance. It brought together her lifelong relationship with classical dance and a festival dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga.

She started learning dance at five

Long before she became Bollywood's 'Dream Girl,' Hema was training in classical dance. She began learning Bharatanatyam at the age of five, with her mother, Jaya Chakravarthy, playing an important role in her early training. She later studied other classical forms, including Kuchipudi and Odissi.

That early discipline stayed with her even as she became one of Hindi cinema's biggest stars. In an interview with The Quint, Hema recalled how difficult her first dance lessons could be.

"I started learning dance when I was only five years old. When my guru first tied the bells around my tiny ankles, and demonstrated the adavus and mudras, my feet hurt terribly but I wasn’t allowed to take them off."

Her mother encouraged her to keep going, telling her, "'You will get used to them,' my mother said and I did."

The training eventually became a foundation for her work on stage. While audiences know her for films, Hema has repeatedly spoken about how much dance means to her personally.

Indian actress Hema Malini poses during a portrait session on Day 2 of the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival, July 20, 2007 at SF World Cinema,CentralWorld in Bangkok, Thailand.Getty Images

Why dance means more than movies

Hema has developed several dance productions based on Indian mythology, including Meera and Ramayana. She once explained that her father encouraged the family to explore ballet productions, which allowed her to tell traditional stories through a different format.

"On my father's suggestion, we gradually ventured into ballets, and Meera was Natyavihar Kala Kendra's debut production, choreographed by the renowned Bhushan Lakhandri. It was a good decision because more people prefer ballets to the pure classical dance form."

Her work has continued to combine classical movement with stories drawn from Indian tradition.

She has also performed alongside her daughters, Esha and Ahana Deol, in Parampara, describing the experience as a way to pass the art on to another generation.

"Dance, for me, is devotion, meditation and also tradition. I perform Parampara with my daughters Esha and Aahana Deol, and that is the most beautiful moment for all of us because it is carrying forward a tradition. My daughters understand that art has to be pursued and nourished. The fulfilment I experience after a dance show cannot be compared to the experience of a film."

A passion that has stayed with her

Hema was last seen in the 2020 film Shimla Mirchi, but her work on stage has remained an important part of her public life.

Her latest Durga performance offered another reminder that dance has never been just an extension of her screen career. It is an art she began learning as a child and has continued to pursue through decades of fame, family life and public service.

At 77, Hema's return as Durga during Navratri brought that journey into focus once again. As she put it after the performance, "I felt truly blessed."