When Hema Malini spoke about Naseeruddin Shah's hesitation during the shoot of an intimate scene in Rihaee

Hema Malini starred in the 1988 film Rihaee, directed by Aruna Raje, alongside Naseeruddin Shah and Vinod Khanna. The film was considered groundbreaking for its time, exploring the lives of women in a rural village who were left to fend for themselves while their husbands worked in the cities.

Rihaee boldly tackled themes of female sexuality and societal double standards, questioning the expectation that women must remain chaste while men are free to fulfill their desires elsewhere.

In an interview with veteran journalist Bharathi S Pradhan last year, Hema Malini shared that she accepted the role because she was eager to work with a female director. "It was by Aruna Raje. And she was there to direct it and I also liked the story. I wanted to do something different that time – like, rural women. Bada achha laga. The story was very sweet and interesting but very bold. Har role karna chahiye na? As an actor, I think, you should be able to take up anything as a challenge for yourself."

Reflecting on the film's production, Hema Malini remarked, "The making was so nice and decent. Beautifully done." During the interview, the journo mentioned an intimate scene in the film with Naseeruddin Shah, recalling how the actor was hesitant to get close to Hema Malini. The legendary actress laughed and responded, "Achha hai na, itna darr lage toh."

In the same interview, Hema Malini also revealed that she took on the role in Baghban, a family drama directed by Ravi Chopra and co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, at her mother’s insistence.

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She recalled, "I remember when I was hearing the story from Ravi Chopra, my mother was sitting with me. After he left, I said, 'Chaar itne bade bade ladko ke maa ka role karne toh bol raha hai. How can I do all this?' My mother said, 'no, no. You must do it. The story is good'."

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Hema Malini was last seen in Shimla Mirchi in 2020, a film starring Rajkummar Rao and Rakul Preet Singh.