Aishwarya Rai is today's 'dreamgirl', says Hema Malini

For Bollywood's original 'dreamgirl' Hema Malini, beauty queen-turned-actress Aishwarya Rai is the only one who deserves the 'dreamgirl' tag among all the new age actresses.

'Whoever is on top is the dreamgirl. I feel it is Aishwarya Rai,' Hema told reporters on being asked who, according to her, deserves to be called the 'dreamgirl' nowadays.

Taking about the hardships an actress has to face, she said: 'An actress' life is the same - nothing has changed. It is what it was even 20 years back. They have to work very hard, make themselves look beautiful and need a lot of dedication to remain at the top,' said Hema, who was in this suburb of the national capital Monday to felicitate winners of supermarket Big Bazaar's 'Meet The Dreamgirl' contest.

Snubbing the whole idea of having a size zero figure, Hema said: 'There's no need (for a size zero figure). I was not a size zero. You must have a flat stomach - not a pot belly - and a nice and beautiful face - at least a tolerable face - and you can be an actress.'

Dressed in a pale yellow, elegant sari, the 60-year-old actress was at her forthright best when asked about her future projects.

'I've signed one or two (films) which are held up because of the financial problems in the whole world. Otherwise I would have finished those two and they would have released by now.'

'One is with Nana Patekar which Deepa Sahi is directing, and the other is with another producer. It is not right to expose everything about a film,' she said.

Another film that Hema is working on is 'Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi' - in which she will play a role based on the life of prominent political figure Vijayaraje Scindia.

Hema, who has delivered hits like 'Seeta Aur Geeta', 'Satte Pe Satta', and 'Sholay' in the past, is also toying with the idea of getting into production and returning to direction after almost 17 years.

'I'm planning to start production. I don't want to say much about it because every time I talk about these things, they never happen. It's my desire to make lovely films because I am an artist and a very creative person,' she said.

'But filmmaking is not a joke...so many things are involved,' she added.

The actress, who had her first stint with direction in 1992 with Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Dil Aashna Hai', says she would want to be a liberal producer and not want to impose her ideas on the youth.