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Vyjayantimala in "Gunga
Jumna"(1961)
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Watching Vyjayantimala dance is like watching a bird that
had been caged its whole life released for the first time
darting about nervously and ecstatic in flight. Her every
movement is outwardly abandoned but veiled in restricted captivity.
She was the most precise and nuanced dancer Bollywood has
ever seen. She appears at the same time lighter than air and
bound by the spectator's gaze. I say 'watching' because Vyjayantimala
is always dancing to the spectator, grabbing and holding attention
ever outward, pulling inward. To watch Vyjayantimala dance
is to be seduced.
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Vyjayantimala Photo Galleries
NEW Feb 25 2005 Vyjayantimala
photo gallery one
Vyjayantimala
"Rangoli" [1962]
Vyjayantimala
"Gunga Jumna" [1961]
Vyjayantimala
"Madhumati" [1958]
Vyjayantimala
"New Delhi" [1956]
Vyjayantimala
"Bahar" [1951]
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Vyjayantimala played the role of Chandramuki in Bimpal
Roy's "Devdas"(1955) for which she won the Filmfare Award
(Indian Oscars) for Best Supporting Actress and then refused
the award on the grounds that she should be winning the Best
Actress award and to say her role was 'supporting' was an
insult! All in all in her career Vyjayantimala won Three Filmfare
Awards for Best Actress. I guess Filmfare never dared nominate
her in a 'supporting' role category ever again? Certainly
her life reflected monumental doses of melodrama comparable
to a Bollywood script. Reading any Vyjayantimala profile (and
there are many) will attest to this.
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"Vyjayantimala was the first South Indian actress who
made it as a national star and was one of the biggest ever
Hindi Film female stars in a career lasting almost two decades.
Besides her ability as an actress, which was considerable,
her greatest legacy to Indian Cinema perhaps is that it has
become a must for any aspiring actress in Indian Cinema to
be an accomplished dancer. Vyjayantimala has always had the
mandatory dance sequence in practically every film of hers
evoking 'classical art' associations... " (upperstall.com)
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Vyjayantimala has the distinction of being the lead dancer
in what is considered the best and certainly most celebrated
and famous dance number in Bollywood history, 'Hothon Pe Aisi
Baat' from "Jewel Thief". The legend goes that she performed
this incredibly lavish and complicated number doing each shot
on the first take. That was the celluloid perfection of Vyjayantimala.
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Links:
rediff.com
Vyjayantimala profile
upperstall.com
profile
3to6.com
profile
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