Hema Malini's Take: Dharmendra's 'Padma Bhushan' Long Overdue
By MovieTalkies.com, 27 January 2012
The 'He Man' of cinebiz has a reason to beam a lot more brightly. The veteran has been handpicked for the Padma Bhushan honour, no less.
Even as the announcement issued forth from President Pratibha Patil on the eve of Republic Day 2012, channel reporters and the scribe tribe got cracking trying to elicit reactions from those selected for the Padma Bhushan honour: Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Mira Nair.
A certain forthright lady who goes by the name of Hema Malini was supremely candid ( as usual, that is) when approached by byte-hungry reporters.
"Of course, I'm extremely happy for him," elated Malini. "But the truth of the matter is that he was worthy of this honour a long time ago. It was long overdue, but better late than never."
Incidentally, the "overdue" bit was her take too when Ms. Malini herself was lavished with the Padma Shri in 2000.
Smiling away, Malini carped charmingly to media-types even as lensmen turned click-crazy.
"I aammm happppyy," declared Malini , the South Indian twang heavily impinging upon her words. "But I feeellll tthhat this honnnourrr shoulddd have been givennn to meeee mucccchhhh before. It is alrrrrreadddy too late."
Aiyyyyoooo ammmmmaaaa… soooooooooooooo corrrrrrecttttt!