Heroin of yesteryears and Ex-MP of South Chennai

This evening at Thiruvallikkeni Sri Parthasarathi swami temple, saw this graceful nonagenarian walking out – she needs no introduction and visits the temple often ! 

In 1984 DMK aligned with Janata Party + 2 Communist parties.  The candidate for South Chennai was a heavyweight Era Chezian - brother of Navalar V.R. Nedunchezian, both   founder members of DMK.  Chezhian however, left DMK, attracted by  Jayaprakash Narayan's ideologies, and joined the Janata Party.  The women candidate against him was a surprise choice yet she garnered 336353 votes defeating Sezhiyan by a huge margin.    

Murthi (SV Sahasranamam) comes to a village and spend time with Meenakshi (M.S. Draupadi) and leaves for his home town. After returning there he wants to marry Mohana while Mohana loves Nathan (TR Ramachandran). Meenakshi discovers she is pregnant and goes to Murthi, who claims ignorance. She jumps into the sea in a suicide attempt.  .. .. that was the plot of “Vaazhkai”    produced and directed by A. V. Meiyappan through AVM Productions in 1949. It marked the silverscreen debut for Ms Vyjayanthimala.

 

In her hey days Vaijayanthimala was a super star actress, a classical dancer, Carnatic Snger who later became a politician too. In 1968, she was awarded the Padma Shri.  

Vaijayanthi mala was born in 1933, rose to become one the most acclaimed  actresses and dancers, winning several accolades, including five Filmfare Awards and two BFJA Awards. She made her screen debut at the age of 16 with the Tamil film Vaazhkai (1949), and followed this with a role in the Telugu film Jeevitham (1950). Her first work in Hindi cinema was the social guidance film Bahar (1951), which she headlined, and achieved her breakthrough with the romance Nagin (1954). She garnered widespread critical acclaim for her role in the period drama Devdas (1955), where she played Chandramukhi, a tawaif with a heart of gold. The film and her acting was highly praised, later considered to be her magnum opus. She went on to star in series of commercial successes, which include the romance New Delhi (1956), the social drama Naya Daur (1957) and the comedy Aasha (1957). 

After retiring from screen, her political career was initiated in 1984 when she contested and won the South Chennai constituency representing Indian National Congress which was the ally of MGR’s AIADMK.  She was nominated again in 1989 whence she defeated Aladi Aruna of DMK.  Later in 1993, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India for a six-year term.  In 1999, she resigned from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress party stating  "painfully watching the party drifting from its avowed principles after the death of Rajiv Gandhi, the party has lost touch with its grassroots and one can see day in and day out that sincere party workers are being steadily ignored."

 

At 91 she still looked composed, dignified and very attractive – respects and regards to Mrs Vijayanthimala.

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
30.7.2024