From Bharatanatyam to Kuchipudi: Hema Malini’s Journey Through Classical Dance

Hema Malini’s love affair with Indian classical dance began at the tender age of five, when she started learning Bharatanatyam under the watchful eye of her mother, Jaya Chakravarti. Growing up in Delhi, she quickly performed on local stages and later expanded her repertoire by studying Kuchipudi in Chennai under the famed guru Vempati Chinna Satyam. In recent interviews, the actress recalled a memorable episode involving fellow Bollywood veteran Rekha, who attended the same dance classes during their early years. Rekha’s mischievous habit of running away during rehearsals made the guru’s job challenging. Over the decades, Hema has crafted numerous ballets such as “Durga”, “Meera”, “Ramayan”, “Savitrī”, “Radha‑Krishna” and the beloved “Radha Ras Bihari”, using dance to narrate mythic and devotional stories.