Hema Malini copes with dust, din to charm Mathura

"When there was criticism, she tried to make amends and got herself photographed at the hand pump or holding a sickle and joining the farm-workers in the field," said school teacher Mohan Lal of Goverdhan.

Hema Malini, who debuted opposite Raj Kapoor in "Sapnon Ka Saudagar" and went on to star in over 150 movies, certainly has her admirers.

"People keep waiting for hours in the villages to have her darshan. Her films including `Sholay' are popular," said paanwala Rakesh at the Mathura bus stand.

She is getting enthusiastic response from the crowd in both the urban and the rural areas of Mathura parliamentary constituency.

But the undercurrents over the failure to make a dent in the popularity of sitting MP Jayant Choudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are clearly discernible in the local BJP outfit.