The night Kathmandu waited for Bollywood’s ‘Dream Girl’
Summary
Hema Malini, Bollywood's Dream Girl, was set to perform in Kathmandu in 1970 during an Indian Film Festival that was later canceled due to an India-imposed economic blockade on Nepal. Despite the festival's cancellation, her film Johny Mera Naam, partially shot in Nepal, became a blockbuster, boosting her fame in Nepal and beyond.
Key Points
- Hema Malini made her Bollywood debut in 1968 and became known as the 'Dream Girl' of Bollywood.
- The Indian Film Festival in Kathmandu scheduled for November 1970, featuring Hema Malini's dance, was canceled due to an economic blockade imposed by India on Nepal.
- The blockade was linked to unresolved trade and transit treaty negotiations between Nepal and India in 1970.
- Despite the festival's cancellation, Hema Malini's film Johny Mera Naam, partly filmed in Nepal, was released and became a blockbuster in both India and Nepal.
- The canceled festival and the film's Nepalese shooting locations increased public enthusiasm for her work in Nepal.
