When Hema Malini sends you a personal “Save the Date”, follows it up with the invite and tops it with a Google map to the venue, you know it’s special. There are very few celebrities who revel in their success like Hema does. Whether her Dream Girl title (given by producer B. Ananthaswamy, who birthed her career in 1968 in Sapnon Ka Saudagar opposite Raj Kapoor) or her 75th birthday, Hema enjoys it all with childlike openness.

Puzzlingly, many reports called Dharmendra her special guest while the invite, which read, “We would love to have the pleasure of your company as we celebrate the milestone birthday of Our Dream Girl...”, clearly carried the names Dharmendra, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol Vohra as the hosts.

The evening when Jaya Bachchan smiled and didn’t wag her finger or scold the paparazzi became a news story as social media accounts had a field day splashing the celebrity presence outside Aurika, the new luxury hotel next to Mumbai’s internatio-
nal airport.

Inside, Hema’s staff (led by Pamela) wore big smiles of welcome as much song and dance went on with old-world charm. Dharam, who didn’t have a drop all evening, didn’t stir from the sofa. Often, celebrities have people they’re comfortable with flanking them at events to prevent pesky guests from plonking themselves next to them. Explains why Sanjay Khan and Zarine sat beside Dharam all evening, other guests including Vidya Balan having to crouch to greet him. Once in a while, Zarine got up for Hema to sit next to Dharam, especially when Kisi shayar ki gazal dream girl was being sung on stage and guests went crazy clicking them seated together.

Animating the stage were Indian- Chinese actor-singer Meiyang Chang and Madhya Pradesh-born Pratibha Singh Baghel, with Hema happily joining them to sing a line or two. Learning music is Hema’s new hobby.

Raveena Tandon, with manager Rima, and Salman Khan, who entered solo, were early arrivals. Salman not only has a respectful equation with Dharam but also bonds with Hema (his foster mother in Baghban) and Esha after No Entry. At Ahana’s traffic jam wedding reception, he had sent personal bodyguard Shera to help Hema vet the guests entering the VIP enclosure.

Vidya was impressed with Jackie Shroff, who arrived with his famous plant as a gift. He discreetly brings other gifts too, but the plant is what’s in plain sight. “I just love the way you gift plants,” she gushed. “You make such a strong statement without saying anything.” True.

I too have one of Jaggu’s gifts at home which he assures me, “Gives oxygen at night. You can sleep next to it.” Jackie, who’s never garrulous, has been quietly notching up admirers for his simple step-by-step cooking tips on the Net, his anda kadipatta, a big hit.

Our Election Commission’s new national icon Rajkummar Rao — who worked with Hema in Shimla Mirchi — predicted that his next good film would be
Mr & Mrs Mahi, his first with Karan Johar’s banner. Directed by Sharan Sharma, Jahnvi Kapoor has been repeated while Kartik Aar-yan, the original choice, was replaced by Rajkummar when he fell out with Karan over Dostana 2.

Hema had a jaunty green gift bag for every guest with a wellness body mist and a beautiful scarf, the Dream Girl pose and “Diamond Jubilee Celebration” printed on the bag.

Dharam enjoyed all the attention enormously. Though he sometimes had problem placing people, he broke into a smile of recognition and said to me, “You broke the story of my marriage to Hema.” That was 1980. Time to give me another story, I said. “As soon as I romance someone new,” he shot back with a laugh.

The cutest sight was Hema-Dharam’s five grandchildren sitting on a sofa right in front, fascinated by the songs and dances that celebrated their famous Nani. There won’t be photographs of that lovely visual — Esha and Ahana take care not to air their kids too often in public.

Bharathi S. Pradhan is a senior journalist and author