The Indian drama about Seeta and Geeta appeared on the screens in 1972 and immediately fell in love with millions of viewers. This is a fascinating story about two twin sisters separated at an early age: Geeta, who was kidnapped by gypsies, and Seeta, a rich heiress.
The role of Seeta and Geeta was played by the same actress – an incredible fact for that time. However, Mumtaz, a recognized Bollywood diva, was initially offered to play the main role. But she refused because of the small fee.
Love Triangle: How was the Life of the Actors of the Cult film “Seeta and Geeta”?
Hema Malini (Seeta and Geeta)
Hema’s acting career began in 1965, at that time, the girl was only 17 years old. She was born into a wealthy Tamil family, the mother of the future artist was a film producer. But despite this, Hema Malini is, first and foremost, a professional dancer, which is confirmed by her choice of role in the cinema. It was she who played Seeta and Geeta, and thanks to her talent, Kheme really managed to get used to the role.
The love story of Hema Malini deserves a separate script in the cinema. During the filming of the movie, which can be found at proxybay, the actress was engaged to her co-star on the set, but the meeting with Dharmendra turned everything upside down. Not only was Dharmendra older than Hema by 13 years, but he was also married to another! But having gone through all the prohibitions and not paying attention to sidelong glances, the actors were able to get married and give birth to two daughters in marriage. They, like their mother, love to dance, and one of them became an actress.
Now Hema Malini is 71 years old, she is engaged in producing and directing films. The actress also founded her own company, Hema Malini creations. Hema Malini was the secretary of the Indian People’s Party and entered the country’s parliament with it. In addition, Hema is a follower of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Dharmendra (Raka)
Dharmendra was born into a strict conservative Sikh family and did not even watch films until the seventh grade due to his father’s prohibition. However, no imposed taboos could kill the craving for acting. Dharmendra calls his acting activity “an endless romance with cinema.”
In the film, the actor played the role of the rebel Raka, Seeta’s lover. He first married Prakash Kaur at the age of 19, in this marriage, they had four children. But this did not stop him from falling in love with Hema Malini – neither the age difference nor the difference in caste stopped them. Hema’s parents were against this union, and the couple could only marry after the death of Malini’s father. More than two years passed before Dharmendra was able to obtain permission for a second marriage because, in India, a strict prohibition was imposed on this. The Indian press also wrote that both actors converted to a different faith and changed their names. According to other sources, Dharmendra converted to Islam in order to legally have a second wife.
Now the actor is 84 years old, in the early 2000s, Dharmendra represented the Indian People’s Party in the lower house of parliament. Now he is the proud owner of the state award Padma Bhushan, a successful actor, producer, and politician.
Sanjeev Kumar (Ravi)
Sanjeev Kumar, who played Gita Ravi’s lover in the film, dreamed of becoming an actor since childhood. To do this, he first entered an amateur theater in Bombay and then to an acting school. The first successful film, “Toy”, made the actor famous and brought him and the movie outside of India.
Sanjeev was hopelessly in love with Hema Malini and was wooing her before the filming of Seeta and Geeta. Hema’s parents liked the groom very much, and they gave the go-ahead for marriage. But things did not work out as they expected: Hema Malini chose another colleague on the set – Dharmendra. Sanjeev carried his love throughout his life. Despite the fact that for several years he had an affair with actress Sulakshana Pandit, he still did not forget about Hema: once Sulakshana herself invited him to marry her, but in response, Sanjeev burst into tears and said that another woman would always stand between them.
In 1985, at the age of 47, Kumar died of a massive heart attack.
