Geeta Bali | |
|---|---|
 Bali inAji Bas Shukriya (1958) | |
| Born | Harikirtan Kaur 15 November 1930[1] |
| Died | (aged 34)[2] |
| Years active | 1942–1964 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, includingAditya Raj Kapoor |
| Family | Kapoor family(by marriage) |
Geeta Bali (bornHarkirtan Kaur; 15 November 1930 ‒ 21 January 1965) was an Indian actress who worked inHindi films. Bali is regarded among the finest actresses in the history ofIndian cinema,[2] Bali acted in over 75 films in a career spanning over two decades. She was twice nominated forFilmfare Awards.[4]
She started her career as a child artist withThe Cobbler (1942) and had her first success withSohag Raat (1948). After working inBadi Bahen (1949), Bali went onto establish herself as a leading lady of the 50s with films such asBawre Nain (1950),Albela (1951),Baazi (1951),Jaal (1952),Anand Math (1952),Vachan (1955),Milap (1955),Faraar (1955),Jailor (1958) andMr. India (1961). ForVachan, she was nominated forFilmfare Award for Best Actress.
She married actorShammi Kapoor in 1955, with whom she has two children including actorAditya Raj Kapoor. Bali died in 1965 due tosmall pox.[5]
Geeta Bali was born as Harkirtan Kaur inAmritsar in thePunjab Province ofBritish India in 1930.[1][3] She had an elder sister Hardarshan Kaur, whose daughter is former film actressYogeeta Bali.[6] Bali was trained in classical dance, horse riding andGatka.[7] Her father, Pandit Kartar Singh was a religious preacher. As a child, Geeta was selected to sing for a programme at the All India Radio, Lahore.[8] Her family would travel to Burma, Sri Lanka where Bali and her sister used to give stage performances. She was noticed by Pt. Gyan Shankar, a choreographer who selected her for a documentary film , "The Cobbler" (1942) which was her debut film.
Bali started her film career as a child actress, at the age of 12, with the filmThe Cobbler (1942). She made her debut as a lead actress inBadnaami (1946). Bali went onto act in over 75 films.[9]Sohag Raat (1948) andBadi Bahen (1949) were her early success.[10][11][12]
She became a star in the 1950s. She worked with her future brother-in-lawRaj Kapoor inBawre Nain (1950)[13] and with her future father-in-lawPrithviraj Kapoor inAnand Math, both of which were successful.[14] Unlike other actresses who gave up films after marrying into the Kapoor family, Bali kept acting until her death. Bali helpedSurinder Kapoor become a producer.[15]
Bali was widely known for her comic timing and her range as an actor.[17] Bali had her best onscreen pairing withDev Anand, with whom she worked in several successful films includingBaazi (1951),Jaal (1952),Ferry (1954),Milap (1955),Faraar andPocket Maar (1956).[18][19][20] She received aFilmfare Award for Best Actress nomination forVachan (1955).[21]
She worked with her husbandShammi Kapoor in films such asMiss Coca Cola (1955),Rangeen Raaten (1956), in which she sang a song andCoffee House (1957).[22] Her other notable films wereDulari (1949),Nishana (1950),Albela (1951),Albeli (1955),Kavi (1955).[23] Her last film wasJab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai in 1963.[1]
Bali met actorShammi Kapoor in 1955, during the filmMiss Coca Cola. They fell in love during the shooting of the filmRangeen Raaten, where he was the leading actor and she played a cameo. Four months later, the couple got married at Banganga Temple, near Malabar Hill of Mumbai.[24] They had a son,Aditya Raj Kapoor, on 1 July 1956, at Shirodkar's Hospital, Mumbai, a year after they were married. Five years later, in 1961, they had a daughter, Kanchan Kapoor.[25][26]
Bali contracted smallpox around December, 1964 while shooting for the film"Rano" in Amritsar. On January, she returned to Bombay where she fell severely ill and subsequently died on 21 January 1965, at the age of 34, due to illness fromsmallpox.[2][27] She was cremated at the Banganga crematorium. Ironically, it was near the same place where she had married 10 years prior.
After her death, Kapoor married Neila Devi, from Bhojapara,Gujarat, on 27 January 1969, who also took care of Bali's children.[28][29]
"I consider her one of our great artistes. There was nobody who performed like her. She was very versatile. When she entered the industry, everybody had written her off. I believed in her and made her a star."[30]
Bali is regarded as one of the greatest actors ofIndian cinema.[4] In 2022, she was placed inOutlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list.[31] One of the leading actress of the 50s, Bali has appeared inBox Office India's "Top Actresses" list in 1951, 1952 and 1953.[32] Bali was the first woman in the Kapoor family who did not gave up acting after marriage.[33]
Sukanya Verma ofRediff.com noted, "Geeta Bali’s terrific comic timing and natural manners made her stand out in a crowd of stilted, self-aware beauties. Yet, she was equally adept at moving the viewer in vulnerable, wounded parts."[34] Megha Mathur ofThe Quint termed her one of the "most interesting actresses" of her time. Her sonAditya Raj Kapoor said, "If you see the way Shammi Kapoor danced, that was Geeta Bali’s personality."[7] Pia Krishnankutty ofThe Print said that Bali had a "captivating on-screen presence" and wrote, "Given how she acted in a range of genres, whether tragedy, drama or comedy, Bali never fell into the trap of a typecast."[35]
Subhash K. Jha ofFirstpost termed her "ebullient" and said, "Geeta Bali was the originalSridevi…perky, bubbly and effervescent."[36] Dinesh Raheja noted, "Geeta Bali's reputation as an actress rests more on her performances than her roles. Natural, spontaneous and gifted with a spot-on sense of comic timing."[37] Journalist Rauf Ahmed added Bali on his "Biggest stars in Hindi filmdom" list and noted, "Bali was the first natural. The earliest tomboy among the actresses. Earthy, effervescent and uninhibited, she shed coyness and simpering so characteristic of the early Hindi film heroine."[38] In the 2016 filmEkk Albela, Bali was portrayed by actressVidya Balan.[39]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | The Cobbler | Child artist | [40] | |
| 1946 | Badnaami | |||
| Kahan Gaye | ||||
| 1948 | Sohag Raat | Kamini "Kammo" | [11] | |
| Jalsa | ||||
| Nai Reet | ||||
| 1949 | Neki Aur Badi | Baby | ||
| Dulari | Kasturi | |||
| Badi Bahen | Kiran | [12] | ||
| Bansariya | ||||
| Garibi | ||||
| Bholi | Bholi | |||
| Dil Ki Duniya | ||||
| Girls' School | School student | |||
| 1950 | Nishana | Chanda | ||
| Chhai | Gujri | Punjabi film | ||
| Bawre Nain | Tara | [13] | ||
| Bhai Bahen | Bahen | |||
| Gulnar | ||||
| Shadi Ki Raat | Dulhan | |||
| Balo | ||||
| 1951 | Baazi | Leena | [41] | |
| Ghayal | ||||
| Albela | Asha | [42] | ||
| Nakhare | ||||
| Bedardi | ||||
| Johari | ||||
| 1952 | Jaal | Maria | ||
| Raag Rang | ||||
| Anand Math | Shanti Dev Sharma | [14] | ||
| Betaab | ||||
| Jalpari | ||||
| Najariya | ||||
| Neelam Pari | Pari | |||
| Zalzala | ||||
| 1953 | Bahu Beti | |||
| Baaz | Nisha | |||
| Jhamela | ||||
| Firdaus | ||||
| Gunah | ||||
| Naina | Naina | |||
| 1954 | Kashti | |||
| Ferry | Juhi | |||
| Daku Ki Ladki | ||||
| Suhaagan | ||||
| Ameer | ||||
| Chora Chori | ||||
| 1955 | Jawab | |||
| Vachan | Kamla | Nominated –Filmfare Award for Best Actress | [43] | |
| Sau Ka Note | ||||
| Miss Coca Cola | Ganga | [22] | ||
| Milap | Asha Dayal | [17] | ||
| Albeli | Geeta | |||
| Faraar | Kitty | Also producer | [18] | |
| Kavi | Basanti | Nominated –Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress | ||
| Bara Dari | Gauri | |||
| 1956 | Hotel | |||
| Inspector | Varsha | |||
| Pocket Maar | Shukal | [44] | ||
| Sailaab | Kanchan | |||
| Rangeen Raaten | Gulu | |||
| Lalten | ||||
| 1957 | Coffee House | |||
| 1958 | Jailor | Chhaya | ||
| Aji Bas Shukriya | Geeta Kumar | |||
| Do Mastane | Geeta Kumar | [45] | ||
| 10 O'Clock | Geeta | |||
| Mujrim | Hotel Dancer | Special appearance in song "Chanda Chandni Mein Jab Chamke" | ||
| 1959 | C. I. D. Girl | Chand | ||
| Nai Raahen | ||||
| Mohar | ||||
| 1960 | Bade Ghar Ki Bahu | Lata | ||
| 1961 | Mr. India | Bembi | ||
| Sapne Suhane | Jamuna | |||
| 1963 | Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai | Mohini | Last film | [1] |
| 1965 | Rano | Filming abandoned | [46] |
| Year | Film | Song | Composer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Rangeen Raaten | "Main Ek Shola Aag Babola Re" | Roshan | [47] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 3rd Filmfare Awards | Best Actress | Vachan | Nominated | [48] |
| Best Supporting Actress | Kavi | Nominated | [49] |
(1930-65) Hindi actress, dancer and singer, originally Harikirtan Kaur. Born in Amritsar, Punjab.
(1930-65) Hindi actress, dancer and singer, originally Harikirtan Kaur. Born in Amritsar, Punjab.
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