Vyjayanthimala was born on August 13, 1933, in Chennai, India, to actress and dancer Vasundhara Devi, in a Tamil-speaking family. At the tender age of four, she had the rare opportunity to perform a dance before the Pope, a remarkable feat that set the stage for her future career in the world of entertainment.
As she grew older, Vyjayanthimala's talents continued to shine, and at the age of 15, she was signed up by family friend M.V. Raman for a role in the Tamil film "Vazhkai". The movie was a huge success, and it was later remade in Hindi as "Bahaar" in 1951.
Since her debut in films in 1949, Vyjayanthimala has appeared in approximately 62 movies, with the majority being in the Hindi language. Her illustrious career spanned from 1949 to 1989 and earned her a total of five awards for her performances in films like "Devdas", "Sadhna", "Ganga Jamuna", and "Sangam", as well as a lifetime achievement award in 1995.
Vyjayanthimala's dance numbers, such as "Hothon Pe Aisi Baat Main Dabake Chali Aai...", "Man Doley Mera Tan Doley...", "Chad Gaiyo Paapi Bichua...", and "Main Ka Karu Ram Mujhey Buddha Mil Gaya", continue to be popular even today. Her iconic red swimsuit in the film "Sangam" made waves, and she paved the way for other South Indian actresses like Hema Malini, Rekha, and Sridevi to transition to Bollywood.
Throughout her career, Vyjayanthimala was managed by her grandmother, Yadugiri Devi. She married Dr. Chamanlal Bali, a personal physician of Raj Kapoor, and the couple had a son, actor Suchindra Bali.
After quitting films, Vyjayanthimala took up shrimp farming, opened a dance academy, and even ventured into politics. With the backing of Indira Gandhi's Congress Party, she was elected Member of Parliament in the 1980s. However, she chose to quit politics due to principled differences in 1999.
Following the passing of her husband, Vyjayanthimala now resides in Chennai with her son, who is an aspiring actor, and has removed herself from the film industry, although she could have easily continued her career for another decade.
One of her hits, "Naya Daur", which was originally released in black and white, has now been colorized and re-released. In 2007, she published her autobiography, "Bonding", in which she revealed that she did not have an affair with Raj Kapoor, her leading man and director from the film "Sangam" (1964).
In 2011, her son Suchindra and daughter-in-law Nandini presented her with a grandchild named Swara, a joyous occasion that marked a new chapter in her life.
