Many actresses like Bhagyashree, Neetu Kapoor, and others left acting after marriage. Another actress, who once ruled over three film industries, quit films at the peak of her career. The actress we are talking about is considered to be one of the greatest actresses in Indian cinema. Though she was rumoured to be dating two Bollywood superstars, she married a doctor. She is none other than Vyjayanthamala.
At the age of 7, Vyjayanthimala was chosen to perform a classical Indian dance for Pope Pius XII while her mother was an audience in 1940 at Vatican City. She learned Bharatnatyam from Guru Vazhuvoor Ramiah Pillai and Carnatic music from Manakkal Sivaraja Iyer. She had her arangetram at the age of 13.
In 1949, director M. V. Raman was looking for a new face to cast in AVM Productions's Vazhkai, he saw Vyjayanthimala performing Bharata Natyam in Chennai's Gokhale Hall and this is how the 13-year-old got her first ever film. The movie was a big success and was remade in Telugu and Hindi as Bahar, which became one of the highest-grossing films of that time and then there was no looking back for the actress.
Vyjayanthimala went on to star in various films including Nagin, Devdas, Naya Daur, Sadhna, Aashna, and more. With her success story, she paved the way for south Indian actresses like Hema Malini, Jaya Prada, and Sridevi in Hindi cinema. But none could own the silver screen like Vyjayanthimala as she simultaneously ruled Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu cinema and rightfully got tagged as the female superstar of Indian cinema.
She was linked with co-star Dilip Kamur with whom she had a hit pair. While working for his home production Gunga Jumna (1961), Kumar reportedly handpicked the shade of sari that Vyjayanthimala would wear in every scene.
In the 1960s, during the shoot of Sargam, Vyjayanthimala was rumoured to have been romantically involved with Kapoor and almost married him. Initially, she was vexed with him and kept him at a distance. However, Kapoor did not give up on her attitude.
However, when things didn’t work out, Vyjayanthimala married Raj Kapoor's family doctor, Chamanlal Bali. While getting treatment from Dr Bali, she fell in love with him. Both became so serious and sure of each other that a married Dr Bali got divorced and married Vyjayanthimala.
After her marriage, the actress gave up her acting career However, between 1968 and 1970, she shot for those films which she had signed before her marriage, such as Pyar Hi Pyar, Prince and Ganwaar.
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