Dilip saab’s death a deep personal loss: Vyjayanthimala

CHENNAI: “I have no words, I cannot even cry … Dilip saab’s death is not just a great loss to the film industry, but a deep personal loss for me. Saira Banu and he were like family,” said Vyjayanthimala Bali on Wednesday.
The leading lady in many a Dilip Kumar film said, “We were outstanding co-stars and made a good team.” Vyjayanthimala’s 1949 film ‘Vaazhkai’ was remade in Telugu and later in Hindi as ‘Bahar’, paving her Bollywood entry. Twinkle Toes, as she was known, became the toast of Bollywood.
But it was ‘Devdas’ (1955), her first with Dilip Kumar, that turned her into an acclaimed actor. “In the film, Chandramukhi, a courtesan, undergoes a transformation and becomes a pious, noble woman. For me also, it was a transformation. By then though I was an established dancer, I was not known as an actor. After ‘Devdas’ there was a transformation; I became known as a good actor,” she said.
Decades later, when Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’ released in 2002, there was talk about the two movies. “I said I didn’t know about the new ‘Devdas’ as I hadn’t seen it; as far as I know Dilip Kumar plays ‘Devdas’,” she said.
Vyjayanthimala has many memories of their shared screen space. “For ‘Ganga Jamuna’ (1961), he helped me speak Bhojpuri. He even recorded my dialogues and gave it to me to study. The other part was acting, which I had to do myself. I had to act the words out,” she said.
Dilip Kumar also had a strong connect with Chennai. “He came down for the shooting of ‘Paigham’ (1959), which was later made in Tamil (Irumbu Thirai) with Sivaji Ganesan. There is a scene where Dilip saab’s character does all the talking and I do all the listening. He describes a woman and her beauty. I get irritated, jealous and get up to go, and he stops me saying he was talking about my mother. It was directed by Gemini’s S S Vasan, and became the favourite scene for Dilip saab and Vasan,” she said. “Dilip saab loved Chennai — the atmosphere and working conditions here.”
For her, he will remain an actor par excellence who inspired generations of stars. “He was a natural. Even today, actors try to follow in his footsteps.”