Indian movie actress Vyjayanthimala is one of the finest Bollywood actresses who is also an excellent dancer and golf player. She was born in Chennai on 13 August in the year 1936. Shri M.V.Raman launched her in AVM`s Tamil film `Vazhkai` in 1949. The film was super hit and consequently re-made in Telegu and even in Hindi as `Bahaar` in 1951. Vyjayanthimala was selected for the Hindi version also and though she was fluent in Hindi she successfully did the job and thus firmly stepped in the Hindi film industry. In her entire film career, which lasted for two decades, Vyjayanthimala has acted in 63 films all together.
Career of Vyjanthimala
She was much acclaimed for her Tamil movie `Vanjikottai Vaaliban` where she performed a dance competition with Padmini. Vyjayanthimala ventured in Hindi movies with the roles in `Ladki` and `Nagin` in the year 1954. In the later film the actress had a dance sequence with the song `Man Dole, Mera Tan Dole` for which the film achieved enormous success. The success was coming in her way while Bimal Roy cast her as Chandramukhi opposite Dilip Kumar in the critically acclaimed `Devdas`. She subsequently starred in four successful films opposite Dilip Kumar namely `Madhumati`, `Ganga Jamuna`, `Leader`, and `Naya Daur`. The first two of those four roles earned her Filmfare Best Actress Awards. She also received a Filmfare nomination as Best Actress for portraying in `Sadhana` a courtesan. She costarred with Raj Kapoor in `Sangam` which was love triangle of Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar and Vyjayanthimala.
In the 1966 Vyjayanthimala starred in historical epic, `Amrapali. She costarred with many of the then protagonists like Dev Anand in `Jewel Thief`, with Rajendra Kumar in `Suraj`, with Shammi Kapoor in `Prince`, and with Kishore Kumar in his blockbuster `New Delhi`. There was one unique point in each of her films that all of them were having dazzling dance performances by the actress. Some of the notable Tamil films of her career can be mentioned as `Vanjikottai Valiban`, `Irumbuthirai`, `Then Nilavu`, `Vaazhkai`, `Penn`, `Parthiban Kanavu`, and `Baghdad Thirudan`.
She also choreographs and composes dances. In her own words, dancing took her around the world much more than the movies did. She has performed in many countries all over the world. She is an accomplished golfer. She has played in National Golf Championship. Her interest in golf continues even today, and she was still playing in recent years when she was almost 70 years old or may be even older. Vyjayanthimala was also interested in politics and has actively participated in Indian politics. She was elected to the Lok Sabha twice and was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha once.
Awards received by Vyjanthimala
She got many awards in her dance performances also which took the actress to her heights. In the year 1956 Vyjayanthimala has won Filmfare best supporting actress award, for a role in `Devdas`. But she refused to take this award. In the year 1959 she achieved Filmfare best actress award, for a role in `Madhumati`. In 1958 `Sadhana` bagged her nomination for best actress. In 1961 she was awarded Filmfare best actress award, for a role in `Ganga Jamuna`, for the same film she also got BFJA best actress award. In 1964 the actress won Filmfare best actress award for a role in `Sangam`. In the year 1995 Vyjayanthimala got Filmfare lifetime achievement award. In 2004 she was awarded `Legend of Indian Cinema` at Atlantic City, United States while in the year 2005 she won lifetime achievement award at the Bollywood Movie Awards. In 1968 the Government of India titled her the `Padmashri. Arasavai Natya Kalaingnar by Tamil Nadu Government honoured her for excellence in Natya. Tamil Nadu Government awarded her Kalaimani Award in 1979. She got Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982. She achieved the Degree of Doctor of Letters by the Annamalai University, Chennai in 1995.
