Hema Malini opens up about being dropped from Tamil film after 4 days, having her name changed to Sujata: ‘It was a big jolt’

Hema Malini recalled how back in the day, a lot of classical dance shows would happen in Chennai, where producers would be on the lookout for new actresses. It was Sridhar who discovered her at one of her dance shows and signed her through her mother, and Hema ‘very reluctantly agreed’.

“So, when he rejected me, it was shocking, a big jolt. But it’s good that it happened, because that gave me the push that I have to make it, I have to show now. He rejected me, how dare he. So, I took it as a challenge and wanted to do my best,” she said.

The actor added that soon after that, she was offered Sapno Ka Saudagar, the 1968 film which marked her Bollywood debut. Hema, however, said she doesn’t hold any grudges as she believes in the concept of “forgive and forget”.

The actor said she went on to work with Sridhar in the 1973 film Gehri Chaal, and recalled him as someone who was extremely nice. “But I never even mentioned that you had rejected me after taking me in a film. We never spoke about that,” she added.