Vyjayanthimala Bali was in Bengaluru recently. The south Indian actor, who conquered the North with her dancing and acting skills, was in the city to inaugurate Vastrabharana and to announce the dance performance of her student – Subhashini Vasanth — as part of the 10th anniversary of the Vasanthrathna Foundation For Arts.
The star, who was nick-named ‘twinkle toes’ for her dancing skills, still looks gorgeous and her eyes come alive as she narrates her life’s story. She talks to Metroplus about her glorious career in films, dance and politics. Excerpts:
Your foray into films
I started with the Tamil film Vazhkai when I was just 13. But I was so scared of my friends’ reaction due to the stigma attached to actors those days that I almost locked myself in a room once the film was released. It was only after I got a positive feedback from my friends that I slowly accepted my identity as an actor. I clicked in Hindi films too. The north saw me dance with a difference. It had a classical touch. I was known as a dancing star till Devdas happened, which proved I could also act. I got a Filmfare Award as the best supporting actress for the film. But my grandmother refused it and Filmfare tore me to bits calling me arrogant (laughs loudly).
Did dance help you in your acting?
Yes, I could emote because of Bharatanatya. The form has so much bhava and you depict so many characters. Dance became my guiding force. The training in classical dance gave me an added edge. I was this South Indian girl, who conquered the North because of my dance, which was not influenced by the West like it is today. Today you just cannot define the form or the style used.
Dancing and films were separate sections for me. I never allowed my films to interfere with my dance. My dancing did create a foundation for my acting. It gave me strength. You will never see any filmy touches in my dance unlike classical dances today.
There is so much fusion now. I have never performed any filmi song in my classical performance. I maintained the purity of the form. Today you see dancers use a film song to show shringar . They are tampering with the traditional form.
Most dancers say they can experiment within the classical boundary...
That is nonsense . Natyashastra does not say any such thing. Any experimentation leads to adulteration of the form. They are lowering the standards. Today dancers are shown picking lice on stage. Is that art? Where is the aesthetics in this? Then you have a dancer showing her bosom when she hides a letter. What is all this? I don’t believe in this art.
What does dance do to you?
It makes me dance (Laughs uproariously)
How was it working with the three legends -- Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar?
Dilip is one of the greatest heroes. When I acted with him in Devdas , I was in awe of him. He was already a great performer and I was a nervous newcomer. But I had a wonderful director in Bimal Roy who would call me ( she imitates him ) Chondromokhi or Boyjoyonthi (laughs again).
Dilp and I worked in Madhumati with Bimal again. What lovely songs we had then -- “Daiya re daiya chad gayo papi”, and “Aaja re”... you will not get such lyrics now.
Dev Anand was a pleasant person to work with and was a very happy-go-lucky man.
Coming to Raj Kapoor, my first film with him was Nazrana, then came Sangam . More than an actor I thought he was a brilliant director, which is seen in the way he made Sangam . He knew the pulse of the audience — what to give them and how much to give. He was also musically oriented and would spend hours with Shankar-Jaikishen. He had a great sense of taal and his editing skills were also great.
How can I forget the song “Budda mil gaya”? No one imagined that Vyjayanthi could do something like that — dance with a lampshade as a hat or covered in feathers!
He wanted to show that a woman could hold her own. A woman had a voice in Sangam , which was shown in the climax. It had many firsts – it was the first techni-colour film, first film to be shot abroad, it had two intermissions as it was more than three hours long.
How did you handle success?
It did not go to my head. I was taught from my childhood to be balanced and humble.
I took success with grace and thank god for the blessings he showered on me. Even in my dance, it is not me but the dance that is bigger.
The ‘I’ should become small and the ‘eye’ should become big so that you can see others and be alert to their needs. But, nothing comes on a platter. You have to earn everything with your thinking, your efforts and hard work.
Your foray into politics...
I was asked by Rajiv Gandhi to contest the elections and I won it twice. Initially, people asked what would I, an actress do? But after I won, they saw that I was a hands-on politician.
Your message to the youth would be...
Be Indian. Don’t ape the West blindly. Especially in films, the way they are baring themselves. What is this? Look at the crime today. I read an article that said women are not safe in India! Why put yourself in that situation?
Be on your guard, hold your self esteem, carry yourself with dignity so that you don’t expose yourself to negative elements.
Why did you step back from films after marriage?
My husband and I decided it was the right time. I had reached the top, was a celebrity.
I didn’t have the desire to keep working. I had my innings and never wanted to do character roles. I was a heroine, ruled the hearts of the people as a heroine and left as one. I want people to remember me as one.
