Legendary actress-danceuse politician Vyjayanthimala rings in her 91st birthday
Legendary actress-danceuse politician Vyjayanthimala rings in her 91st birthday
Vyjayanthimala, the legendary actress and a dancer par-excellence turns 91 on Tuesday 13 August.
She was one actress-danceuse who mooted norms, declined to accept supporting actor award.
Vyjayanthimala turns 91:
Dilip Kumar was much in love with her that he selected the shade of sarees she would wear for each scene in Gunga Jumna.
Even at 91 she still awe-strucks people with her dancing prowess. Although, the legendary actress gained immense fame for her acting and dancing skills, she was equally criticised for her personal life. Some called her a home-breaker for falling in love with a married man, others linked her with the legendary Dilip Kumar, claiming he was so much in love with her. The legendary actress was also linked with Raj Kapoor, but the actress called it a publicity stunt, leading to a public disagreement with the thespian’s son Rishi Kapoor.
Right from stepping into the tinsel town at the age of 16 after her arangetram (debut performance of a Bharatnatyam dancer) to emerging a politician and defying norms, the actress mooted conventions time and again.
After making her debut with the Tamil film Vaazhkai in 1949, the actress featured in a series of Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi films, eventually playing the role of Chandramukhi in Bimal Roy’s Devdas.However, she was far from being the first choice for the role. It came to her after Nargis, Suraiya and Bina Rai declined to play the courtesan.
The makers cast her without showing much confidence in her and against the will of the film’s scriptwriter Nabendu Ghosh, who thought she was too young for the role. Her exceptional performance didn’t just prove everyone wrong but also won for her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Mature beyond her years, a proud Vyjayanthimala refused to accept the award, claiming she was as much a leading lady as Suchitra Sen (who played Paro).
She was also the first South Indian actress to wear a swimsuit on screen, a bold move considering she came from an orthodox Tamil Brahmin Iyengar family in Chennai. This was the time when actresses were supposed to conform to a sanskari archetype and transgressions were frowned upon. The actress wore a swimsuit in Raj Kapoor’s Sangam. She was arguably the first female superstar of India, ruling three industries and being one of the first pan-India stars.
At the peak of her career, she gave up acting as she entered into marital bliss with the love of her life Dr Chamanlal Bali.
In her memoir, ‘bonding’, the actress recounted that while on shoot for a film in Kashmir, she took ill. Chamanlal flew from Bombay to treat her. He was married and a father of three. But after their love blossomed, Chamanlal divorced his first wife to wed Vyjayanthimala. The couple have a son Suchindra Bali.
She is just not a successful actress and a dancer,but, also a powerful politician. The actress embraced Congress in 1984, emerging victorious with an exceptional margin in the Tamil Nadu General Election in the same year against all odds.
Vyjyantimala’s memoir ‘Bonding’ reveals that being a member of Parliament also meant facing people’s preconceived notions about her. How would she fare? they asked derisively. A pretty fairy from the arena of fine arts, what was she doing in the hard as nails battle ground of politics? Would she make it? She won like she had always done, by silently proving the detractors wrong.”
In 1989, she once again emerged victorious. In 1993, the actress was nominated to Rajya Sabha for a six-year term. In 1999, she resigned from INC. In her letter to Sonia Gandhi, the actress wrote, “Painfully watching the party drifting from its avowed principles after the death of Rajiv Gandhi, the party has lost touch with its grassroots and one can see day in and day out that sincere party workers are being steadily ignored.” In 1999, she joined Bharatiya Janata Party.
Vyjayanthimala was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1968, and was recently honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour in India.
Meanwhile, the legendary actress still actively practices dance. Last year on.her 90th birthday celebrations, she stunned the internet with her graceful performance.
News Edit K.V.Raman
