It was very very difficult to convince Hemaji to do book on her: Ram Kamal Mukherjee
Mumbai: Ram Kamal Mukherjee, a former Bollywood journalist and television show producer is best known for Hema Malini Diva Unveiled, an unofficial biography which was published in 2005. The biography on Hema Malini’s life, written by Ram Kamal Mukherjee is titled Beyond The Dream Girl, and it wasunveiled by Deepika Padukone on Hema Malini's 69th birthday at the recent event in Mumbai.
Talking about his experience working on superstar Hema Malini’s biography, Ram Kamal shared, “Hemaji didn’t want a book written on her. That’s her way of saying that she doesn’t deserve a book written on her. She has always been so humble. So, it was very very difficult to convince her to do a book. She told me that since I had already done a coffee-table book on her, and there is one book by Bhavna Somaiya too, she didn’t want one more book on herself. But I was convinced that there has to be a book which tells Hema Malini’s stories, minus the cliched past like her equation with Jeetendra, her marriage with Dharamji etc. Of course, these are a part of the book too, in great detail and we have done full justice to this part of her life, but she has so much more to share. She is much more than the ‘dream girl’. She has turned 69 yesterday, and has been in the industry for fifty years.”
When asked about getting PM Narendra Modi to pen the foreword for the book, an excited Mukherjee said, "Yes, It was almost like a miracle to have Mr Modi write for us. I guess it's all because of Hemaji's credentials and contribution to art and cinema that Mr Modi agreed to pen the foreword. Modiji has written a short statement in the book that encapsulates his feelings for Hemaji. It's brief, crisp and sweet. It's an honour for me as an author and for Hemaji also that it is perhaps the first time that an active Prime Minister has written a foreword for a book on a Bollywood actor. When I was interacting with his office, they were very happy that Hemaji did not just limit her talk in the book to Bollywood."
“While we have a foreword from Narendra Modi, we also have an afterword written by filmmaker Ramesh Sippy,” He added.
Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s Beyond the Dream Girl will take you to the insightful journey of India’s first female superstar. The book is now available in all leading bookstores and online on Amazon.
