Ila Arun reunites with Hema Malini, Jeetendra at Ganesh aarti, recalls Rihaee and Jaal
Synopsis
A Ganesh Maha Aarti in Mumbai turned unexpectedly nostalgic for Ila Arun — she ran into Hema Malini and Jeetendra, reviving memories of Rihaee (1988) and Jaal (1986). The same evening, she had paid tribute to 50 years of Ekjute at Prithvi Theatre, where her own Mumbai theatre journey began.
Key Takeaways
Ila Arun attended a Ganesh Maha Aarti in Mumbai on 24 September and unexpectedly reunited with Hema Malini and Jeetendra .
She and Hema Malini co-starred in Aruna Raje's Rihaee , released on 31 August 1988 , a landmark parallel cinema film set in a Gujarat village.
Her association with Jeetendra dates to Jaal ( 1986 ), in which she sang 'Raina Bawari Bahi Re' with music by Anu Malik .
Earlier the same evening, Arun attended the 50-year celebration of Nadira Zaheer Babbar's theatre company Ekjute at Prithvi Theatre .
Arun was also photographed with Raj Babbar and his daughter Juhi Babbar at the Prithvi Theatre event.
Veteran singer-actress Ila Arun had an emotional and nostalgic evening on 24 September in Mumbai, attending a milestone theatre celebration at Prithvi Theatre before joining a Ganesh Maha Aarti where she crossed paths with fellow screen veterans Hema Malini and Jeetendra — two actors she had worked with decades ago in films that remain touchstones of Indian parallel cinema.
A Night of Two Reunions
The evening began at Prithvi Theatre, where Arun attended Nadira Zaheer Babbar's 50-year celebration of her theatre company Ekjute. Sharing photographs from the night, Arun wrote: 'Last night was very emotional and enriching for me. First, I went to Prithvi Theatre for Nadira ji's 50 years celebration of Ekjute. I started my Mumbai theatre journey with her in Lower Depths, A View From The Bridge and Yahudi Ki Ladki. For two years I learnt what discipline and theatre truly mean.'
Among the pictures shared, one captures Arun alongside Raj Babbar and his daughter Juhi Babbar. Arun added that knowing Nadira Zaheer Babbar and Raj Babbar from Delhi made her feel at home when she first arrived in Mumbai.
Later in the evening, Arun headed to a Ganesh Maha Aarti hosted at 'Meenu ji's place' from Gangaur Sweets. 'For me, Gangaur is family,' she wrote. It was there that the unexpected reunion with Hema Malini and Jeetendra took place. Arun described it as a 'lovely coincidence' and signed off with 'Ganpati Bappa Morya.'
Shared History: Rihaee and the 1988 Parallel Cinema Landmark
The reunion with Hema Malini brought back memories of Aruna Raje's acclaimed 1988 film Rihaee, which released on 31 August 1988. Directed, written, and produced by Aruna Raje, the film was set in a Gujarat village and examined the lives of women whose husbands had migrated to cities — exploring loneliness, sexuality, relationships, and societal double standards. Hema Malini played the character Taku, while Arun essayed Jhumku. The ensemble cast also included Vinod Khanna, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Reema Lagoo, Mohan Agashe, and Pallavi Joshi.
Jaal: The 1986 Film That Linked Her to Jeetendra
Arun's connection with Jeetendra traces back to Umesh Mehra's 1986 action film Jaal, produced by F.C. Mehra and Parvesh C. Mehra under the Eagle Films banner. The film starred Rekha, Mithun Chakraborty, Mandakini, and Moon Moon Sen in its lead ensemble. Music for the film was composed by Anu Malik, and Arun lent her distinctive voice to the song 'Raina Bawari Bahi Re' — one of the film's memorable tracks.
Ila Arun: A Career Spanning Theatre, Film, and Music
Ila Arun began her journey in theatre, training at the National School of Drama (NSD) before making her mark in Mumbai's performance circuit. She rose to national and international fame with the song 'Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai' from Khalnayak (1993) and has remained one of Indian cinema's most distinctive folk-pop voices. Notably, the Prithvi Theatre evening underlines how deeply her artistic roots run — pre-dating her film celebrity by years. The evening served as a reminder that Bollywood's current generation of stars stand on a foundation built across both stages and studios.
Point of View
Rihaee and Jaal, represent opposite ends of the 1980s cinema spectrum — one a feminist parallel-cinema statement, the other a mainstream action vehicle — yet Arun moved fluently between both worlds. In an industry often fixated on debuts and box-office debuts, such reunions are quiet reminders of how multi-hyphenate careers were built before the age of personal branding.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which films did Ila Arun work on with Hema Malini and Jeetendra?
Ila Arun worked with Hema Malini in Aruna Raje's 1988 parallel cinema film Rihaee, where she played the character Jhumku alongside Hema Malini's Taku. Her connection with Jeetendra is through the 1986 action film Jaal, directed by Umesh Mehra, in which she sang the song 'Raina Bawari Bahi Re'.
What is Rihaee (1988) about?
Rihaee is a 1988 film directed, written, and produced by Aruna Raje, set in a Gujarat village. It explored the lives of women whose husbands had migrated to cities for work, examining themes of loneliness, sexuality, relationships, and societal double standards. The cast included Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ila Arun, Reema Lagoo, Mohan Agashe, and Pallavi Joshi.
What was the Ekjute event at Prithvi Theatre that Ila Arun attended?
The event was a celebration of 50 years of Ekjute, the theatre company founded by Nadira Zaheer Babbar. Ila Arun noted that she began her Mumbai theatre journey with Ekjute, performing in productions including Lower Depths, A View From The Bridge, and Yahudi Ki Ladki.
Who else did Ila Arun meet at the Ganesh Maha Aarti and the Prithvi Theatre event?
At the Ganesh Maha Aarti, Ila Arun reunited with Hema Malini and Jeetendra. At the Prithvi Theatre celebration, she was also photographed with Raj Babbar and his daughter Juhi Babbar.
What song did Ila Arun sing in the 1986 film Jaal?
Ila Arun sang 'Raina Bawari Bahi Re' in the 1986 film Jaal. The film's music was composed by Anu Malik, and it was produced under the Eagle Films banner by F.C. Mehra and Parvesh C. Mehra.
