When a doctor won an actress’ heart

Vyjayanthimala and Dr.Chamanlal Bali / ImageCourtesy: BollywoodInsider

Remember Tere Mere Sapne which Vijay Anand directed for his brother Dev Anand’s Navketan Films? This 1971 cult film is said to be inspired by Dr. A Cronin’s 1937 novel, The Citadel, which laid the foundation for the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK a decade later. 

However, in a departure from the novel, the Anand brothers introduced a new track in the screenplay, bringing in Hema Malini who falls madly in love with Dev’s Dr Anand, drawing him away from his work, his principles, and even his wife, Nisha, played by Mumtaz.

This sub-plot reportedly had a real-life muse in Vyjayanthimala’s romance with Dr. Chamanlal Bali. What lends credence to the rumors is the choice of name for Hema’s character, Maltimala, and the fact that like Vyjayanthimala, she too is a glamorous actress who suffers from severe migraine headaches brought on by stress and anxiety. It was because of this ailment that Raj Kapoor sent his physician, Dr. Bali, to attend to her during the shooting of Sangam in 1964.

Vyjayanthimala had earlier been linked with superstars like Gemini Ganesan, Sivaji Ganesan, and MGR down South. The rumors followed her when she moved to Bollywood and there was talk of Dilip Kumar personally picking out her saris after she replaced Madhubala in BR Chopra’s Ganga Jumna, though they grew apart after she was unceremoniously replaced by Waheeda Rehman in Ram Aur Shyam, apparently on his behest.

Raj Kapoor is also said to have been enamored by her and even promised marriage. Vyjayanthimala dismissed these reports as a publicity stunt in her memoir, blaming the publicity wing of R K Studios for trying to boost Sangam, However, Raj Kapoor’s son Rishi, in his autobiography, confirmed the affair, admitting that his mother, Krishna, had moved into Natraj Hotel on Mumbai’s Marine Drive with the children, refusing to return home till he ended the affair.

Dr Bali was a married man with three children too, but Vyjayanthimala was drawn to this man who inhabited a world very different from her own. In an interview with Tehelka in 2020, recalling those life-changing meetings in Mumbai, she admitted that she knew she was in love when she began to miss Dr Bali on the days when he didn’t come to see her. 

This realization had hit him much earlier. But her grandmother, who along with her father had brought her up, was strongly opposed to the relationship, not wanting her to be branded a home-breaker. But even though it pained the actress to go against her grandmother who had been the guiding force in her life, this once, she let her heart rule her head. Dr Bali and she tied the knot in 1968, after getting a divorce from his first wife, Rubi, after reportedly paying her a hefty alimony.

After marriage, Vyjayanthimala surprised everyone by backing out of Sapnon Ka Saudagar which she had signed opposite Raj Kapoor. The film went to Hema Malini on the rebound. In 1969, she had two releases, the superhit Prince with Shammi Kapoor and Pyar Hi Pyar with Dharmendra which didn’t find much love, but by then she had already decided to quit the industry. 

Her last Hindi film was Ganwaar in 1970, opposite Rajendra Kumar. She relocated to Chennai where Dr Bali had settled and could not be persuaded to return to Mumbai, turning down big banners and challenging roles like Aandhi, Deewaar, and Kranti.
She turned her focus on her first love, Bharatnatyam.

Vyjayanthimala had been dancing since she was a child, performing before the Pope when only five. She got her break in films at the tender age of 15 when the producer of AVM Studio saw her dance performance and offered her Vazhakai. 

After retiring from films, she traveled the world, becoming the first Indian dancer in 1969 to perform at the UN General Assembly to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Even today, at the age of 90, Vyjayanthimala continues to give public performances.

In 1984, she contested on a Congress ticket from the South Chennai constituency and defeated her closest rival, seasoned Parliamentarian Era Sezhiyan. She was elected to the Lok Sabha again in 1989 and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1993.
Vyjayanthimala admitted in the Tehelka interview that it was her husband who thought she had the makings of a politician and after seeing how funds were being misused in Tamil Nadu leading to mass disillusionment, urged her to join politics.

She went to Delhi and sounded out then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, and found an instant ally in her. She was with the Congress till 1999 after which she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

 

Vyjayanthimala with Dr.Bali and son,Suchindra / Vyjayanthimala with Dr.Bali and son,Suchindra

Dr Bali was always by her side, whether it was on a tennis court, the golf course, or on her dance or political tours. Life was beautiful till he succumbed to a brain hemorrhage on April 21, 1986. Distraught that they were not able to arrange for the six bottles of glycerol needed to save his life, Vyjayanthimala set up the Dr. Bali Pharma Foundation to ensure that others didn’t die from not getting lifesaving drugs in time.

The loss of her soulmate was heartbreaking, and for a while, she lost interest in everything, including dance and politics. But then it hit her that her husband wouldn’t have wanted her to shut herself away from the world. He would have wanted her to live with their 14-year-old son, Suchindra. 

He had left his entire estate to the boy, Vyjayanthimala was given the power to administer it till he came of age. This did not go down well with Dr Bali’s three other sons. Ratan, Rajan, and Raman claimed that they had been promised an equal share of the property and dragged the actress-politician to court over charges of forging their father’s will and undervaluing the property to avoid paying taxes.

Ratan even alleged that after his second marriage, Dr Bali had begun drinking heavily and the will was written under the influence of alcohol.

Vyjayanthimala rubbished the allegations, claiming she had no idea he had even made a will. Dated July 10, 1985, it was in his handwriting and attested by two witnesses. She told the court that her husband had only told her about it after he was admitted to hospital, asking her to take custody of it

She denied having undervalued his apartment in Mumbai or Bali House in Ooty She further contended that during the divorce Dr. Bali had sufficiently provided for his first wife and their three sons so it was “genuine, legal and perfectly valid” that he would leave everything to Suchindra, it was a messy legal tangle, tangle, but Vyjayanthimala and her son eventually won the case and she could return to politics and dance.

She has since moved out of politics but continues to dance. This year, the Padma Vibhushan awardee performed “Raag Seva at the Ram temple in Ayodhya leaving everyone mesmerized. At 91, age is just a number for Vyjayanthimala Bali.