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Grandma Fayazi, my educator in movie matters, had a thing about Vyjayanthimala. So one wintry afternoon, she’d bundled me up in a topi, muffler and woollies galore, to catch a re-run of Bahar.
Grandma also had a parallel yen for the Bahar hero, Karan Dewan (with a toothbrush moustache), and of course for Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor. She wanted Vyjayanthi to pair up with them pronto. Maybe granny was just a wannabe casting director.
If grandma were alive today, she would have surely dispatched a jungle-sized bouquet to Vyjayanthimala, who turns a year older today today. Clearly, the age group of 13 to 30, in the majority, doesn’t go gaga over the mention of her name, but her appeal has captivated at least three generations. I’d place my grandparents, parents and at this moment, middle-aged moviegoers like myself, in this privileged V-club.
No hyperbole that.
Born in Triplicane, Madras, to Vasundhara Devi and M D Raman, after two Tamil films, Vyjayanthimala sparked the trend of South Indian heroines striking gold in Bombay. Think Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi and Jaya Prada. Like Vyjayanthimala, the other heroines – but for Sridevi – have also made forays into national politics.
Shut up, I can imagine grandma Fayazi hectoring me. Just rave about dear Vyju today. Right then. Clearly, grandma’s favourite possessed that rare quality of alloying dancing skills to an emotive chutzpah.
Check out Vyjayanthimala’s best dances (and I’m spoilt for choice here): Mann dole mera tann dole (Nagin), Eena meena deeka (Aasha), Bakkad bam bam (Kathputli), Chadh gayo paapi bichhua (Madhumati), O chhaliya re (Gunga Jumna), Budha mil gaya (Sangam), Honthon pe aisi baat (Jewel Thief), Kaise samjhaoon (Suraj), not to omit the set pieces of Raj Tilak and Amrapali performed to semi-classical music.
Best Performances: Devdas, Sadhna, Madhumati, Gunga Jumna, Sangam, Amrapali, Sunghursh, Hatey Bazarey.
Alas, Vyjayanthimala’s memoir, Bonding (2007), is bereft of frank speak vis-à-vis her tempestuous liaisons with Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor. The claim that the showman was “just a friend” was hotly rebutted by Rishi Kapoor.
The break-up of Raj Kapoor and his Sangam amour, was a foregone conclusion, as was her marriage to their common physician Dr Chamanlal Bali. Which meant nixing Sapno ka Saudagar with RK, thus facilitating the entry of her replacement Hema Malini.
Incidentally, I met Vyjayanthimala Bali for a video interview for the TV serial Baje Payal on Bollywood dances. She wouldn’t go beyond stating that it was all wonderful while it lasted. More concerned that the crew partake of the high tea served by her Jeeves at her government-allotted bungalow, she packed up the leftovers for us.
Grandma had one look at my photograph clicked with her and groused, “You’re looking like an ullu. Why didn’t you wear a suit?”
The writer Khalid Mohamed with Vyjayanthimala.
The second occasion was in New Delhi too. Agenda: to request her to accept the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. Cakes, sandwiches again, and a “Yes, sure. But don’t ask me to perform a dance at your function.”
This time I’d worn a suit but no photograph was clicked. Because grandma was no more. Stuttered I, “Vyjayathi ji, my grandma biggest fan of yours….” before I could complete the sentence, she smiled ruefully, “I suppose only old people remember me nowadays. Do thank her.”
(The writer is a film critic, filmmaker, theatre director and a weekend painter)
(This article is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on 13 August 2016. It is now being republished to mark Vyjayanthimala Bali’s birthday)
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