Vyjayanthimala is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses of the golden era and one of the finest dancers of Hindi cinema. She once replaced Madhubala in Naya Daur and later, in Ram Aur Shyam, was replaced by Waheeda Rehman. The interesting fact is that in both movies, the lead actor was Dilip Kumar.
Vyjayanthimala Biography
| Real Name | Vyjayanthimala Bali |
| Nickname | Twinkle toes |
| Profession | Indian Actress, Dancer, Choreographer and Parliamentarian |
| Height (approx.) | Centimeters- 165 cm Meters- 1.65 m Feet Inches- 5’ 5” |
| Weight (approx.) | Kilograms- 62 kg Pounds- 136 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Date of Birth | 13 August 1933 |
| Age (as in 2022) | 91 Years |
| Birth Place | Triplicane, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Tamil Nadu, India) |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Leo |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Chennai |
| School | Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School |
| College | Not Known |
| Educational Qualification | Not Known |
| Debut | Tamil Film– Vazhkai (1949) Telugu Film– Jeevitham (1950) Hindi Film– Bahar (1951) |
| Family | Father– M. D. Raman Mother– Vasundhara Devi (Actress) Brother– None Sister– None |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Tamil Iyengar Brahmin |
| Hobbies | Playing Golf, listening to devotional songs |
| Favourite Actors | Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar |
| Marital Status | Widow |
| Affairs/Boyfriends | Dilip Kumar Raj Kapoor |
| Husband | Chamanlal Bali (m. 1968–1986) |
| Children | Son– Suchindra Bali Daughter– None |
| Net Worth | $6 Million |
After leaving Ram and Shyam, there was a long-term rift between Vyjayanthimala and Dilip Kumar, which was later resolved due to Saira Banu. Let us know about her life and film career from start to end.
Vyjayanthimala Early Life
She was born on 13 August 1933 in Triplicane, a neighbourhood of Chennai, to M.D. Ramaswamy and Vasundhara Devi. She was born into a Tamilian Brahmin family. Her mother, Vasundhara Devi, was a Tamil actress in the 1940s, and she was only 16 years older than Vyjayanthi.
She will celebrate her 92nd birthday on August 13th. She shares her birth date with another superstar from South Sri Devi, who is also known as a dancing star.
She was chosen at four to perform a classical Indian dance for Pope Pius XII in Vatican City in 1940. Vyjayanthi attended Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School at Presentation Convent in Chennai’s Church Park. Guru Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai taught her Bharata Natyam, and Manakkal Sivaraja Iyer taught her Carnatic music.
Vyjayanthimala Film Career
Once, M. V. Raman saw a dance performance by Vyjayanthimala and was heavily impressed. He wanted to cast her in AVM Production’s Vazhkai, so he contacted her family.
Her grandmother initially rejected the offer, but Raman kept convincing her. Finally, she agreed, and Vyjaynthimala started shooting for her first movie. Initially, Vyjayanthi kept it a secret and did not tell her friends that she is acting in the movie.
Vyjayanthimala remained active from 1949 to 1968. Her first Tamil debut film was Vazhkai in 1949. The movie was a super hit and one of the highest-grossing movies of Tamil in 1949.
After that, she acted in the 1950 Telugu film Jeevitham, a remake of her Tamil movie. She learned Telugu from her father for her first Telugu movies.
Later, she came to Hindi cinema, and she made her debut in the 1951 Hindi film Bahar, which was a remake of her Tamil movie Vazhkai.
Vyjayanthimala and Dilip Kumar movies
Vyjayanthimala and Dilip Kumar first appeared in Bimal Roy’s movie Devdas, which was released in 1955.
Vyjayanthimala was selected by Filmfare for the Best Supporting Actress award for the film. However, Vyjayanthimala refused to accept this award, saying that her character is not a supporting actress and that she and Suchitra Sen are the lead actresses of this film.
Due to this, there was some estrangement between Vyjayanthimala and Filmfare, and for the next 2 years, she was not even nominated in any category.
The second film of Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala was Naya Daur, directed by BR Chopra and released on August 15, 1957. Madhubala was initially the leading lady in this film, but Madhubala left the film due to the rift between BR Chopra and Madhubala’s father.
The film was the second biggest hit of 1957 after Mother India ( ₹80 million INR) and collected 54 million INR.
The very next year, 1958, Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala’s film Madhumati was released, and it was one of the biggest hits of that year.
The year 1958 was a memorable year for Vyjayanthimala. Her film Madhumati was a superhit, but her second film, Sadhna, was also a perfect hit. Sunil Dutt was in the male lead role in Sadhana. For the first time, Vyjayanthimala received the Filmfare Award in the Best Actress category for this film.
Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala appeared together again in 1959 in Paigam. Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar were seen together for the first time in this movie, and after almost 35 years, they appeared on screen for the second time in Saudagar.
Then came the year 1961, when the film Ganga Jamuna, starring Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala, was released. Dilip Kumar also produced this film and wrote the story.
It is said that at this time, Madhubala and Dilip Kumar’s relationship was broken, and Vyjayanthimala and Dilip Kumar had become very close. It has even been told that Dilip Kumar himself used to choose saris for Vyjayanthimala.
Vyjayanthimala, in her autobiography, has denied any love affair between her and Dilip Kumar.
Vyjayanthimala and Raj Kapoor
The 1964 film Sangam starred Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala in the lead roles. Though the film was released in 1964, its shooting started only in 1960. It is said that Vyjayanthimala and Raj Kapoor came very close during the film’s shooting.
Raj Kapoor was previously in a relationship with Nargis, who later married Sunil Dutt.
Raj Kapoor was married and had children. When Raj Kapoor’s wife Krishna learned of his affair with Vyjayanthi, she went to a hotel in Bombay with her children.
She stayed at Mumbai’s Natraj Hotel for about four and a half months.
But in his autobiography, Vyjayanthimala has denied any romantic relationship with Raj Kapoor.
Marriage
After being separated from Raj Kapoor, Vyjayanthi got busy with her films, and in the meantime, she developed pneumonia. Chamanlal Bali, the doctor who treated her, was also one of her most loyal fans. Vyjayanthimala and Doctor Bali fell in love during their treatment. They married on March 10, 1968, and had a son named Suchindra Bali.
Filmography
| Year | Movie Title | Director | Producer | Budget (INR, Approx.) | Box Office Collection (INR, Approx.) | Opposite Actor/Actress | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Vazhkai (Tamil) | M.V. Raman | AVM Productions | 5 lakh (est.) | 25 lakh (superhit) | S.V. Sahasranamam | Debut at 13; Tamil blockbuster |
| 1950 | Jeevitham (Telugu) | M.V. Raman | AVM Productions | 5 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (superhit) | C.H. Narayana Rao | Telugu remake of Vazhkai |
| 1951 | Bahar | M.V. Raman | AVM Productions | 10 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (blockbuster) | Pandari Bai (co-star) | Hindi debut; 3rd highest grosser |
| 1953 | Ladki | M.V. Raman | AVM Productions | 10 lakh (est.) | 80 lakh (superhit) | Kishore Kumar | 2nd highest grosser of 1953 |
| 1953 | Penn (Tamil) | M.V. Raman | AVM Productions | 8 lakh (est.) | 30 lakh (hit) | Gemini Ganesan | Remake of Ladki |
| 1954 | Nagin | Nandlal Jaswantlal | Filmistan | 15 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (blockbuster) | Pradeep Kumar | Top grosser of 1954; dance hit |
| 1955 | Devdas | Bimal Roy | Bimal Roy Productions | 20 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (superhit) | Dilip Kumar | Filmfare Best Supporting (refused) |
| 1955 | Yasmin | A.R. Kardar | Musical Pictures | 10 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) | Suresh | Romantic drama |
| 1955 | Jashan | S. Shamsuddin | Cine Art Productions | 8 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (moderate) | Pradeep Kumar | Lesser-known film |
| 1955 | Pehli Jhalak | M.V. Raman | Deep & Pradeep Prod. | 10 lakh (est.) | 30 lakh (hit) | Kishore Kumar | Comedy drama |
| 1956 | Patrani | Vijay Bhatt | Prakash Pictures | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (hit) | Pradeep Kumar | Historical drama |
| 1956 | Taj | Nandlal Jaswantlal | Filmistan | 15 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) | Pradeep Kumar | Historical romance |
| 1956 | New Delhi | Mohan Segal | Deluxe Films | 20 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (superhit) | Kishore Kumar | Social comedy |
| 1956 | Kismet Ka Khel | Shankar Mukherjee | Filmkar Productions | 10 lakh (est.) | 30 lakh (moderate) | Sunil Dutt | Drama |
| 1956 | Devta | Pattanna | Nityakalyani Films | 10 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) | Gemini Ganesan | Supporting role; Tamil remake |
| 1956 | Anjaan | M. Sadiq | Sadiq Productions | 10 lakh (est.) | 30 lakh (moderate) | Pradeep Kumar | Romantic drama |
| 1957 | Naya Daur | B.R. Chopra | B.R. Chopra | 25 lakh (est.) | 5 crore (blockbuster) | Dilip Kumar | Top grosser of 1957; colorized 2007 |
| 1957 | Aasha | M.V. Raman | Raman Productions | 15 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (superhit) | Kishore Kumar | Musical hit |
| 1957 | Ek Jhalak | Kalidas | Deep & Pradeep Prod. | 10 lakh (est.) | 30 lakh (moderate) | Rajendra Kumar | Romantic drama |
| 1957 | Kathputli | Amiya Chakravarty | Bimal Roy Productions | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (hit) | Balraj Sahni | Emotional drama |
| 1958 | Madhumati | Bimal Roy | Bimal Roy Productions | 20 lakh (est.) | 4 crore (blockbuster) | Dilip Kumar | Reincarnation hit; Filmfare nom. |
| 1958 | Sadhna | B.R. Chopra | B.R. Chopra | 20 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (superhit) | Sunil Dutt | Filmfare Best Actress win |
| 1958 | Raj Tilak | S.S. Vasan | Gemini Pictures | 25 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) | Gemini Ganesan | Historical drama |
| 1958 | Vanjikottai Valiban (Tamil) | S.S. Vasan | Gemini Pictures | 20 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (superhit) | Gemini Ganesan | Tamil blockbuster; dance duel |
| 1959 | Paigham | S.S. Vasan | Gemini Pictures | 25 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (superhit) | Dilip Kumar | Social drama |
| 1959 | Jawani | Unknown | Unknown | 10 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (moderate) | Unknown | Lesser-known film |
| 1960 | College Girl | T. Prakash Rao | Rawal Films | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (hit) | Shammi Kapoor | Romantic drama |
| 1960 | Baghdad Thirudan (Tamil) | T.R. Sundaram | Modern Theatres | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (hit) | M.G. Ramachandran | Tamil adventure hit |
| 1960 | Parthiban Kanavu (Tamil) | D. Yoganand | Jubilee Films | 15 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) | Gemini Ganesan | Historical drama |
| 1960 | Irumbu Thirai (Tamil) | S.S. Vasan | Gemini Pictures | 20 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (superhit) | Sivaji Ganesan | Tamil social drama |
| 1961 | Gunga Jumna | Nitin Bose | Citizens Films | 30 lakh (est.) | 7 crore (blockbuster) | Dilip Kumar | Filmfare Best Actress win; top grosser |
| 1961 | Then Nilavu (Tamil) | S. Soundararajan | Saravana Films | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (hit) | Gemini Ganesan | Tamil romantic hit |
| 1962 | Rungoli | Shankar Mukherjee | Rajshri Productions | 20 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) | Kishore Kumar | Family drama |
| 1962 | Dr. Vidya | Rajendra Bhatia | Eagle Films | 15 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (moderate) | Manoj Kumar | Social drama |
| 1962 | Jhoola | K. Shankar | Shemaroo Films | 20 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) | Sunil Dutt | Romantic drama |
| 1963 | Ishaara | K. Amarnath | K. Amarnath Productions | 15 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (moderate) | Joy Mukherjee | Romantic drama |
| 1964 | Leader | Ram Mukherjee | R.M. Films | 25 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) | Dilip Kumar | Political drama |
| 1964 | Sangam | Raj Kapoor | R.K. Films | 40 lakh (est.) | 8 crore (blockbuster) | Raj Kapoor | Filmfare Best Actress win; top grosser |
| 1964 | Zindagi | Ramanand Sagar | Gemini Pictures | 20 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (hit) | Rajendra Kumar | Romantic drama |
| 1964 | Phoolon Ki Sej | Inder Raj Anand | Anjali Pictures | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) | Manoj Kumar | Romantic drama |
| 1966 | Amrapali | Lekh Tandon | Eagle Films | 50 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (flop) | Sunil Dutt | Critically acclaimed; box office failure |
| 1966 | Suraj | T. Prakash Rao | Venus Pictures | 40 lakh (est.) | 4 crore (blockbuster) | Rajendra Kumar | Action romantic hit |
| 1966 | Do Dilon Ki Dastaan | R.L. Malhotra | R.L. Malhotra | 20 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) | Pradeep Kumar | Romantic drama |
| 1967 | Jewel Thief | Vijay Anand | Navketan Films | 40 lakh (est.) | 4 crore (blockbuster) | Dev Anand | Suspense thriller; top grosser |
| 1967 | Chhoti Si Mulaqat | Alo Sarkar | B.R. Ishara | 25 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (flop) | Uttam Kumar | Romantic drama |
| 1967 | Hatey Bazarey (Bengali) | Tapan Sinha | Priya Films | 15 lakh (est.) | 30 lakh (hit) | Ashok Kumar | National Award; critical acclaim |
| 1968 | Duniya | T. Prakash Rao | Venus Pictures | 30 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) | Dev Anand | Drama |
| 1968 | Saathi | C.V. Rajendran | Venus Pictures | 25 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (superhit) | Rajendra Kumar | Romantic drama |
| 1968 | Sunghursh | Harnam Singh Rawail | Rahul Theatres | 40 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (average) | Dilip Kumar | Critically acclaimed |
| 1969 | Prince | Lekh Tandon | Eagle Films | 40 lakh (est.) | 4 crore (blockbuster) | Shammi Kapoor | Action romantic hit |
| 1969 | Pyar Hi Pyar | Bhappi Sonie | Rajshri Productions | 30 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (superhit) | Dharmendra | Romantic comedy |
| 1970 | Ganwaar | Naresh Kumar | Naresh Kumar | 25 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) | Rajendra Kumar | Rural drama |
Latest about Vyjayanthimala
There was false news in March 2025 that Vyjayanthimala had died at 91. “Dr Vyjayanthimala Bali is in good health, and any news that says otherwise is false,” her son Suchindra Bali swiftly stated on social media in response to the rumours. Please confirm the news source before sharing. Girijashankar Sundaresan, a musician and family friend, also denounced the allegations and urged people to refrain from making unfounded accusations.