Vyjayantimala Bali

Vyjayantimala Bali is a Bharatanatyam dancer and film actress who helped bring about a revival of the dance over several decades. She was named for the Padma Vibhushan in 2024 in the field of art, from Tamil Nadu ^[1].

Dancer

She was born on 13 August 1933 into a family devoted to the classical arts of the Thanjavur tradition ^[2]. Her talent showed early: at five she danced before the Pope ^[2]. In 1969 she became the first Indian dancer invited to perform at the United Nations General Assembly, for the anniversary of Human Rights Day, and she has danced at the Sydney Opera House and festivals in Stockholm, Rotterdam and Paris ^[2].

She has created many dance-dramas, among them Andal Thiruppavai, Tagore’s Chandalika and Ekta, a ballet on the freedom movement ^[2].

Film star

Her first Tamil film, Vazhkai, and her first Hindi film, Bahaar, made her a star ^[2]. Within a decade she was one of Indian cinema’s leading actresses, starring in Hindi films such as Nagin, Naya Daur, Madhumati, Ganga Jamuna, Sangam and Jewel Thief, and Tamil films such as Vanjikottai Valiban ^[2].

Parliament

She was elected to the Lok Sabha from South Madras in 1984 and 1989, and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1993 for her contribution to the arts ^[2]. Annamalai University gave her an honorary DLitt in 1995 ^[2].