Renowned filmmaker, film historian, researcher and educationist Vijaya Mulay passed away at the age of 98 in New Delhi on Sunday 19 May 2019. Vijaya was born on 16 May 1921. In 1959, she founded the Delhi Film Society and was later appointed a joint secretary of the Federation of Film Societies. In the 1960s she worked with the Central Board of Film Classification.
Vijaya made her directorial debut with The Tidal Bore and was helped by legendary filmmakers Satyajit Ray and Louis Malle in producing the project. The film was entered into the Manheim Film Festival.
She is most famously known for her 1974 film Ek Anek Aur Ekta, which was awarded the National Film Award for Best Educational Film. In 1975, Vijaya headed the Center for Educational Technology where she made educational films which were broadcast across 2400 villages in four languages.
In 2002, Vijaya received the prestigious V Shantaram Award for her work in documentary filmmaking.
Speaking to Indian Express, Vijaya’s daughter actor Suhasini Mulay said, “It was just about old age. She was 98. She had no illnesses of an ageing person. Her blood pressure was fine. Her heartbeat was fine. She didn’t have diabetes or anything like that. But as she grew older, she became weaker and was eating less.”
She called me on the morning of May 10 and told me that she was not feeling well at all. We took her to Escorts hospital, where she was admitted for four days. She had made it very clear that she did not want anything invasive done to her. She said that she lived a full and happy life and did not want to be kept alive by a ventilator or anything. Then we brought her home on May 14, and she was with us till May 19. At 4.45 pm, she passed away. She was not in pain, and it was an easy passage.Suhasini Mulay
Vijaya’s final rites were performed on Monday 20 May in New Delhi.
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