Vyjayanthimala is one of the most renowned veteran actresses in Bollywood. As a one-time Bollywood diva, acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer and Carnatic singer the actress has seen it all, from the glitzy world of cinema to the harsh reality of life, including politics. The actress recently lamented that over the years realism in Indian cinema has been lost. “There was so much realism in our films in the olden days. That is missing in the present-day films. There was none of this make-believe, gimmicks, and camera playing the tricks as in the present times,” said Vyjayanthimala. When the quality of everything else in the country is improving, why not of films,” she added.
A recipient of Filmfare and National Awards like the Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Vyjayanthimala acted in about 70 films, with the majority in Hindi, and mostly as the heroine with legends like Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Raj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor and Dharmendra. “I had just finished matriculation in Madras when I was told to work in a Tamil film Vaazhkai (1949), which was a huge success. My grandmother was the guiding force and helped me choose empowering roles,” the actress recalled.
Although the actress gradually bid farewell to the Indian cinema after her marriage, she still continued her association with dance. “I’m a purist with respect to dance. I am a stickler for the traditional form of Bharatanatyam and won’t let any ‘creativity’ or ‘innovation’ into my dance,” she concluded.
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Credits: HindustanTimes
