8. Hema Malini

An accomplished Bharat Natyam dancer, this one hit Bollywood like a whirlwind, storming the 1970s almost entirely. Legend has it that Hema was evicted from a Tamil film early on, the director declaring that she had 'no star quality.' Hindi cinema was quick to capitalise on this oversight, and the actress proved a breath of fresh air to the industry.

Her achievement is all the more remarkable considering the tough competition in her time. On one hand were actresses like Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi, and on the other stood tall the Angry Young Man. At a volatile time like that, Hema managed to draw audiences on her own with films like Seeta Aur Geeta.

She, of the whippersnapper tongue and casual grace, then went on to do a Basanti, and remains -- in this age of remakes -- the most inimitable part of Sholay. Armed with her trademark 'nahiin', Hema stood out with her defiant eyes and strong accent, and an indescribably strong screen presence.

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For the record, Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar also proposed marriage; Dharmendra got lucky.

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