In a recent interview, Hema Malini revealed how his mother had a strong influence on her career. While speaking to Lehran Retro, Malini revealed that when she was offered a lead role in Raj Kapoor's Satyam Shivam Sundaram. But her mother said no to Showman straightaway. The Seeta Aur Geeta actress reveals that she was also offered the lead role in Satyam Shivam Sundaram, but her mother influenced her to reject it. "Raj Kapoor came to me and asked me to do Satyam Shivam Sundaram. But he only said, ‘This is such a film and I don’t feel you would do it. But I am very keen that you should do it. But I know you will not do it.' So my mother is also sitting and says, ‘No, she will not do all that’." The movie was then offered to Zeenat Aman, and it is regarded as one of her career-defining movies.
In the same interview, Hema asserted that when she was offered Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Baghban (2003), she didn't like the role, and wasn't keen to do the film. It was Hema's mother that convinced her to do the film. As a result, the movie was a super hit at the box office.
The veteran actress said, "I remember when I was hearing the story from Ravi Chopra, my mother was sitting. After he left, I said, ‘Chaar itne bade ladko ki maa ka role karne ko bol raha hai (He’s asking me to play the mother of four grown-ups). How can I do this.' But my mother said, 'No no no, you must do it!' I said, ‘Why?’ She replied, ‘No, the story is very good. You must do it.’" Hema followed her mother's judgement and agreed to do the film.
Malini also shared her initial hesitation towards the film. "See, before that, I wasn't doing films. After a long gap, I was working. So I thought, ‘Why should I do this?’ But she (her mother) said, ‘No, you must do this. The role is very nice.’"
After Baghban, Hema and Amitabh were again paired together in Shah Rukh Khan-Priety Zinta's Veer-Zaara. Their cameo appearance was appreciated by the masses, and they were among the favourite on-screen jodi for a few years. Hema Malini's last big screen appearance was in Shimla Mirchi (2020).
