I worked hard to maintain `Dreamgirl` tag: Hema Malini

Mumbai: Evergreen actress Hema Malini says her `Dreamgirl` tag is not for nothing -- she worked hard to achieve it and says it has taken her a lot to maintain it over her four decade-old film career.

"The `Dreamgirl` title has been with me for a long time. My name got attached with it many years back, but I worked hard to achieve it, to maintain it," Hema said at Colors` Golden Petal Awards ceremony here Monday night. The 63-year-old kept true to her `Dreamgirl` tag when she came on the stage in a golden sari with the "Dreamgirl" song playing in the backdrop. Her poise and grace could give any new age actress a run for money. However, Hema clarifies her hard work was never aimed at earning any title. "We (actors) don`t work hard in films to earn titles like this `Dreamgirl` one. We work hard to get the artist out of us. That`s all," said the actress, who earned fame with films like "Sholay", "Seeta Aur Geeta" and "Johnny Mera Naam". At her age, she is fit as a fiddle, with glowing skin -- and when TV actors Apara Mehta and Himani Shivpuri asked her about her fitness secret, she said: "You should all dance! And by dance I mean do classical, traditional Bharatnatyam, not `Sheila ki jawaani`! And drink 17 bottles of water everyday!" Now that`s quite a tip from the evergreen diva herself, who recently directed "Tell Me O Kkhuda" to relaunch her daughter, Esha Deol in the film industry. IANS