Vyjayanthimala Bali (born 13 August 1936) is an Indian classical Bharatanatyam dancer, actress, parliamentarian and Carnatic vocalist. Widely regarded as one of the most influential leading actresses of Hindi and Tamil cinema during the 1950s and 1960s, she is credited with bringing classical dance traditions into the mainstream of popular Indian cinema. After retiring from films, she served as a Member of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha for the Indian National Congress.
| Full name | Vyjayanthimala Bali |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 August 1936, Madras (now Chennai), Madras Presidency, British India |
| Profession | Bharatanatyam dancer, film actress, politician, Carnatic singer |
| Active in cinema | 1949–1970 (retired after Ganwaar) |
| Languages of films | Tamil, Hindi, Telugu |
| Spouse | Dr. Chamanlal Bali (m. 1968; d. 1986) |
| Children | Suchindra Bali |
| Political party | Indian National Congress (later BJP) |
| Lok Sabha | Member from South Madras (1984–1989) |
| Rajya Sabha | Member (1993–1999) |
| Major awards | Padma Shri (1968), Padma Bhushan (2024), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Filmfare Awards |
Vyjayanthimala was born into a Tamil Iyengar family in Madras, the daughter of M. D. Raman and Vasundhara Devi, a noted actress of Tamil cinema in the 1940s. She was raised largely by her grandmother, Yadugiri Devi. She received early training in Bharatanatyam under the gurus Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai, Kittappa Pillai and Manakkal Sivaraj, and trained in Carnatic music under Manakkal Muthukumara Bhagavathar. Her arangetram was performed at a young age, and she gave a notable performance for Pope Pius XII at the Vatican as a child.
She was educated at the Sacred Heart Convent (Church Park), Madras.
Vyjayanthimala made her film debut in the Tamil film Vazhkai (1949), directed by M. V. Raman, which was followed by its Telugu version Jeevitham (1950). Her Hindi debut came with the remake Bahar (1951), produced by AVM Productions, which established her as a leading actress in Bombay cinema.
Her breakthrough in Hindi cinema came with Bimal Roy's Devdas (1955), in which she played Chandramukhi opposite Dilip Kumar. Although she was offered the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role, she declined it on the grounds that her part was a lead role. Films such as Nagin (1954), where the song "Man Dole Mera Tan Dole" became iconic, established her as a major star and a dancing heroine.
Through the late 1950s and 1960s she headlined many of Hindi cinema's biggest commercial and critical successes, frequently opposite Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. Notable films include:
In Tamil cinema she appeared in classics such as Vanjikottai Valiban (1958) and Kanchi Thalaivan (1963), the latter winning the President's Silver Medal. Her famous dance duet with Padmini in Vanjikottai Valiban, recreated in Hindi as Raj Tilak, is considered a landmark in cinematic dance.
Vyjayanthimala retired from acting in 1970 after her marriage to Dr. Chamanlal Bali, a physician. Her last film as a leading lady was Ganwaar (1970).
Outside cinema, Vyjayanthimala remained active as a Bharatanatyam exponent. She has performed extensively in India and abroad and is a recognised guru of the Vazhuvoor style. She runs a school of dance and has trained several students, including her son Suchindra. Many film historians credit her with restoring classical Bharatanatyam's prestige within popular cinema after a period in which screen "dance" had drifted toward simpler choreography.
Vyjayanthimala joined the Indian National Congress in 1984. She was elected to the 8th Lok Sabha from the South Madras constituency in 1984 and re-elected in 1989. She subsequently served a term in the Rajya Sabha from 1993 to 1999. She later resigned from the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
She married Dr. Chamanlal Bali in 1968. Their son, Suchindra Bali, is a dancer and actor. She was widowed in 1986. She has authored an autobiography, Bonding (1994, with Jyoti Sabharwal).
Vyjayanthimala is regarded as the first major South Indian actress to achieve top-tier stardom in Hindi cinema, paving the way for later stars such as Hema Malini, Sridevi and others. Her insistence on classical training, her refusal to accept a supporting-role award for Devdas, and her transition into elected public office mark her as a pioneering figure in twentieth-century Indian cultural and public life.