Birthday Special: Hema Malini's gorgeous screen avatars

The veteran actress-dancer turns 66 today, October 16.

She was hailed as dream girl in the prime of her career for good reason.

Starring in over 150 films in an acting career spanning several decades, Hema Malini struck us as stunning in every one of her films through the glorious 1970s.

Here then, is a look at the lovely birthday girl's most memorable screen avatars over the years!

One of her earliest films, Subodh Mukherjee's Abhinetri (1970) saw Hema as an accomplished dancer who gives up performing for marital bliss.

In this song sequence from Johnny Mera Naam, the actress showed off her dancing skills in this tribal outfit in fiery red.

Much before Sridevi's entertaining turn in Chaalbaaz, Hema Malini popularised the polar opposite twin sisters act in Seeta Aur Geeta.

She played the submissive and perennially terror-stricken Seeta with as much ease as she transformed into the assertive and comically fiesty Geeta.

As the Afghan girl Reshma in Dharmatma, the beautiful actress rocked a headband with much ease. 

How could a list about Hema Malini's iconic looks be possibly complete without the indomitable Basanti?

Her gajras, nose rings and the village girl outfits stand out as much as her rambunctious character in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay.

Razia Sultan may not have been much to talk about, Hema Malini's look as a fearless Mughal empress was impressive indeed.

In Andha Kanoon, in which she starred alongside Rajinikanth, she worked the police uniform effortlessly.  

And finally, we have Baghban, in which Hema Malini demonstrated just how regal and beautifully elegant a woman could look in middle age.

We can't take our eyes off her yet.