Hema Malini is among the most prominent figures in Indian cinema. Born on October 16, 1948, in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu, she gradually established herself as a legendary Bollywood actress, to the point of often being nicknamed the \u201cDream Girl\u201d of the Hindi film industry. Her journey, however, does not end with cinema: she has also pursued a significant political career, notably as a Member of Parliament in India for the Mathura constituency, a holy city of particular importance to Krishna devotees. Beyond her artistic and public activities, Hema Malini is also known for a deep faith, visible in her commitments as well as in certain aspects of her daily life.<\/p>\n
Hema Malini officially identifies as Hindu. This affiliation is notably confirmed by her 2019 election affidavit, where her religion is listed as \u201cHindu.\u201d But her faith is not limited to an administrative mention: it also appears through a spiritual practice regularly referenced in her public life.<\/p>\n
She is often described as a fervent devotee of Lord Krishna. Her political connection with Mathura, a holy city closely associated with Krishna, therefore takes on a special dimension. Hema Malini was initiated in Vrindavan, another major sacred site in the Krishnaite tradition, which she visits regularly. She notably visited the Radha Raman temple in Vrindavan to worship Lord Krishna, while accompanying this spiritual step with concrete actions in support of the devotees\u2019 community.<\/p>\n
She also supports the ISKCON community. During a parliamentary session, she publicly expressed her sadness over the persecution targeting Hindus and ISKCON devotees in Bangladesh, declaring, as a devotee of Krishna, that she could not \u201ctolerate atrocities against Hindus.\u201d<\/p>\n
A longstanding controversy surrounds Hema Malini\u2019s marriage to actor Dharmendra, celebrated in 1979. According to some rumors, the two actors allegedly converted to Islam in order to perform a nikah, under the names Dilawar and Ayesha Bi, with the aim of circumventing the restrictions of the Hindu Marriage Act, as Dharmendra was already married at the time. A marriage according to the Iyengar rite is then said to have taken place in 1980.<\/p>\n
These claims circulated for decades, but they have never been authenticated by verified public documents. Hema Malini formally denied these rumors, stating: \u201cThere is no truth in these allegations.\u201d For his part, Dharmendra also rejected these accusations, calling them \u201ccompletely false\u201d in an interview with *Outlook Magazine* in 2004.<\/p>\n
More recently, in March 2025, an organizer from the Jagannath Sena association claimed that Dharmendra and Hema Malini were \u201cboth non-Hindus\u201d after the actress\u2019s visit to the Puri Jagannath temple. This statement, however, comes from an activist group and does not constitute an established fact.<\/p>\n
To date, no official and verified conversion to Islam can be attributed to Hema Malini. Her declared religion remains Hinduism, as indicated by her public practices, official statements, and her 2019 election affidavit.<\/p>\n
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