Geeta Bali Explained

Geeta Bali
Birth Name:Harikirtan Kaur
Birth Date:1930
Birth Place:Amritsar, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Punjab, India)[1]
Death Place:Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Years Active:1950–1964
Children:2, including Aditya Raj Kapoor
Family:Kapoor family (by marriage)

Geeta Bali (born Harkirtan Kaur; 1930 ‒ 21 January 1965) was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. Bali is regarded among the finest actresses in the history of Indian cinema,[2] Bali acted in over 75 films in a career spanning over two decades. She was twice nominated for Filmfare Awards.

Bali started her career as a child artist with The Cobbler (1942) and had her first success with Sohag Raat (1948). After working in Badi Bahen (1949), Bali went onto establish herself as a leading lady of the 50s with films such as Bawre Nain (1950), Albela (1951), Baazi (1951), Jaal (1952), Anand Math (1952), Vachan (1955), Milap (1955), Faraar (1955), Jailor (1958) and Mr. India (1961). For Vachan, she was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Bali married actor Shammi Kapoor in 1955, with whom she has two children including actor Aditya Raj Kapoor. Bali died in 1965 due to small pox.[3]

Early life

Geeta Bali was born as Harikirtan Kaur in Amritsar in the Punjab Province of British India in 1930.[4] [1] She had an elder sister Haridarshan Kaur, whose daughter is former film actress Yogeeta Bali.[5] Bali was trained in classical dance, horse riding and Gatka.

Career

Baali started her film career as a child actress, at the age of 12, with the film The Cobbler (1942). She made her debut as a lead actress in Badnaami (1946). Bali went onto act in over 75 films.[6] Sohag Raat (1948) and Badi Bahen (1949) were her early success.[7] [8] [9]

Bali became a star in the 1950s. She worked with her future brother-in-law Raj Kapoor in Bawre Nain (1950)[10] and with her future father-in-law Prithviraj Kapoor in Anand Math, both of which were successful.[11] Unlike other actresses who gave up films after marrying into the Kapoor family, Bali kept acting until her death. Bali helped Surinder Kapoor become a producer.[12] [13]

Bali was widely known for her comic timing and her range as an actor.[14] Bali had her best onscreen pairing with Dev Anand, with whom she worked in several successful films including Baazi (1951), Jaal (1952), Ferry (1954), Milap (1955), Faraar and Pocket Maar (1956).[15] [16] [17] She received a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination for Vachan (1955).[18]

Bali worked with her husband Shammi Kapoor in films such as Miss Coca Cola (1955), Rangeen Raaten (1956), in which she sang a song and Coffee House (1957).[19] Her other notable films were Dulari (1949), Nishana (1950), Albela (1951), Albeli (1955), Kavi (1955).[20] Her last film was Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai in 1963.[4]

Personal life and death

Bali met actor Shammi Kapoor in 1955, during the film Miss Coca Cola. They fell in love during the shooting of the film Rangeen 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.[21] 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.[22] [23]

Bali died on 21 January 1965, at the age of 35, due to illness from smallpox.[2] [24] After her death, Kapoor married Neila Devi, from Bhojapara, Gujarat, on 27 January 1969, who also took care of Bali's children.[25] [26]

Artistry and legacy

Bali is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema.[27] In 2022, she was placed in Outlook Indias "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list.[28] One of the leading actress of the 50s, Bali has appeared in Box Office Indias "Top Actresses" list in 1951, 1952 and 1953.[29] Bali was the first woman in the Kapoor family who did not gave up acting after marriage.[30]

Sukanya Verma of Rediff.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."[31] Megha Mathur of The Quint termed her one of the "most interesting actresses" of her time. Her son Aditya Raj Kapoor said, "If you see the way Shammi Kapoor danced, that was Geeta Bali’s personality."[32] Pia Krishnankutty of The 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."[33]

Subhash K. Jha of Firstpost termed her "ebullient" and said, "Geeta Bali was the original Sridevi…perky, bubbly and effervescent."[34] 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."[35] 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."[36] In the 2016 film Ekk Albela, Bali was portrayed by actress Vidya Balan.[37]

Filmography

Year Title RoleNotesRef.
1942 The CobblerChild artist[38]
1946 Badnaami
Kahan Gaye
1948 Sohag Raat Kamini "Kammo"
Jalsa
Nai Reet
1949Neki Aur BadiBaby
Dulari Kasturi
Badi Bahen Kiran
Bansariya
Garibi
Bholi Bholi
Dil Ki Duniya
Girls' School School student
1950 NishanaChanda
ChhaiGujriPunjabi film
Bawre Nain Tara
Bhai Bahen Bahen
Gulnar
Shadi Ki Raat Dulhan
Balo
1951Baazi Leena[39]
Ghayal
Albela Asha[40]
Nakhare
Bedardi
Johari
1952 JaalMaria
Raag Rang
Anand Math Shanti Dev Sharma
Betaab
Jalpari
Najariya
Neelam PariPari
Zalzala
1953 Bahu Beti
Baaz Nisha
Jhamela
Firdaus
Gunah
NainaNaina
1954 Kashti
FerryJuhi
Daku Ki Ladki
Suhaagan
Ameer
Chora Chori
1955 Jawab
VachanKamlaNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress[41]
Sau Ka Note
Miss Coca ColaGanga
MilapAsha Dayal
Albeli Geeta
Faraar KittyAlso producer
KaviBasantiNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
Bara DariGauri
1956Hotel
InspectorVarsha
Pocket MaarShukal[42]
SailaabKanchan
Rangeen RaatenGulu
Lalten
1957 Coffee House
1958 Jailor Chhaya
Aji Bas ShukriyaGeeta Kumar
Do MastaneGeeta Kumar[43]
10 O'ClockGeeta
MujrimHotel DancerSpecial appearance in song "Chanda Chandni Mein Jab Chamke"
1959C. I. D. Girl Chand
Nai Raahen
Mohar
1960Bade Ghar Ki BahuLata
1961 Mr. India Bembi
Sapne SuhaneJamuna
1963 Jab Se Tumhe Dekha HaiMohiniLast film
1965 RanoFilming abandoned[44]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
19563rd Filmfare AwardsBest ActressVachan[46]
Best Supporting ActressKavi[47]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rajadhyaksha. Ashish. Willemen. Paul. Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. registration. 54. 1999. British Film Institute. 9780851706696. (1930-65) Hindi actress, dancer and singer, originally Harikirtan Kaur. Born in Amritsar, Punjab..
  2. Web site: Geeta Bali: That Amazing Vivaciousness . Rediff.com. Dinesh Raheja. 29 December 2019.
  3. How Shammi Kapoor married Geeta Bali: She took out lipstick, asked him to apply it on her maang . India Today . 24 January 2020 . 20 January 2020.
  4. Book: Adrian Room. Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins. 22 April 2012. 26 July 2010. McFarland. 978-0-7864-4373-4. 44–.
  5. Book: Saran . Sathya . Alvi . Abrar . Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi's Journey . 2008 . Penguin Books India . 978-0-670-08221-6 . 7, 43 . en.
  6. Book: Subodh Kapoor . The Indian Encyclopaedia: Gautami Ganga -Himmat Bahadur . 22 April 2012 . 2002 . Cosmo Publications . 978-81-7755-266-9 . 2575–.
  7. Web site: Box Office India. Top Earners 1946. 10 July 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100614082551/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=151&catName=MTk0Ng. 14 June 2010.
  8. Our Review-"Geeta Bali's Sohag Raat". Filmindia. August 1948. 14. 8. 51. 28 November 2016.
  9. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/marathi/movies/news/nfai-adds-bari-behen-to-its-collection/articleshow/57167690.cms NFAI adds Suraiya's 1949 film Bari Behen to collection 26 February 2017
  10. Book: Ritu Nanda . 2002 . Filmography-Raj Kapoor . Raj Kapoor: Speaks . Penguin Books India . https://books.google.com/books?id=FnyaW9L6cKYC&pg=PP198 . 198– . 978-0-670-04952-3.
  11. Web site: Anand Math's song Vande Mataram - The World's Top Ten . 15 November 2008 . BBC World Service.
  12. News: Sonam Kapoor is a better actor than Anil Kapoor. 4 May 2009 . Rediff.com . 9 May 2018.
  13. Web site: Pandya . Sonal . 21 January 2017 . 10 things you didn't know about Geeta Bali . https://web.archive.org/web/20180630163443/https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2017/jan/21/3927/10-things-you-didn-t-know-about-geeta-bali . live . 30 June 2018 . Cinestaan . 30 June 2018.
  14. News: Milap (1955) . The Hindu . Vijay . Lokapally . 9 December 2011 . 20 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170620165952/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/milap-1955/article2699554.ece . 20 June 2017 . live.
  15. News: Blast from the past: Faraar (1955) . The Hindu . Suresh . Kohli . 14 June 2012 . 20 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170620165607/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/blast-from-the-past-faraar-1955/article3528220.ece . 20 June 2017 . live.
  16. Web site: Bhatia. Uday. 7 September 2019. Who killed the Hindi gangster film?. 13 August 2021. mint. en. 17 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200217052657/https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/who-killed-the-hindi-gangster-film-1567771875756.html. dead.
  17. Web site: 10 December 2011. Dev Anand saga: When Navketan went noir . 12 April 2021. The Times of India. en.
  18. News: Kaur . Devinder Bir . 16 July 1999 . Melodrama was his forte . . 25 September 2009.
  19. Book: Deepa Gahlot. Shammi Kapoor: The Dancing Hero. 29 October 2015. 1 January 2008. SCB Distributors. 978-81-8328-228-4. 82–.
  20. Web site: Top Earners 1951. Box Office India. 7 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110121001128/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=156&catName=MTk1MQ. 21 January 2011. dead.
  21. Blast from the past: Shammi Kapoor and Geeta Bali's sudden marriage . Filmfare . 24 April 2021 . 22 February 2022.
  22. News: Parande. Shweta. Acting is in my genes: Aditya Raj Kapoor. https://web.archive.org/web/20100507083413/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/acting-is-in-my-genes-aditya-raj-kapoor/114542-8-66.html. dead. 7 May 2010. 7 December 2014. CNN-IBN. 4 May 2010.
  23. Book: Ramesh Dawar . Bollywood Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow . 22 April 2012 . 1 January 2006 . Star Publications . 978-1-905863-01-3 . 1–.
  24. Book: Jain, Madhu . The Kapoors: the first family of Indian cinema . Penguin, Viking . 2005 . 0670058378.
  25. Neila Devi: I knew I'd always get second billing . https://web.archive.org/web/20131216012020/http://www.filmfare.com/articles/kareenas-loss-is-priyankas-gain-1316.html . 16 December 2013 . Filmfare . 25 September 2012 . 8 November 2018.
  26. Web site: Shammi Kapoor . Junglee.org.in . 18 August 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110819043907/http://junglee.org.in/ . 19 August 2011 . live.
  27. Top heroines of Bollywood . . live . 24 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201128234730/https://www.indiatoday.in/cinema/100-years-of-indian-cinema/photo/top-actresses-of-bollywood-ever-367543-2012-05-01/22 . 28 November 2020.
  28. Web site: 75 Bollywood Actresses Who Ruled The Silver Screen With Grace, Beauty And Talent . Outlook India . 16 August 2022 . 16 August 2022 . 16 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220816142138/https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/75-bollywood-actresses-who-ruled-the-silver-screen-with-grace-beauty-and-talent-news-216694/amp . live .
  29. Web site: Top Actresses . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104144753/http://boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actress . 4 January 2012 . 24 April 2020 . Box Office India.
  30. Web site: Bollywood Dynasties . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104144753/https://www.ndtv.com/photos/entertainment/bollywood-dynasties-8661 . 4 January 2012 . 24 August 2019 . NDTV India.
  31. Web site: Remembering Geeta Bali: Hindi cinema's Little Ms Sunshine . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104144753/https://m.rediff.com/amp/movies/report/remembering-geeta-bali-hindi-cinemas-little-ms-sunshine/20150121.htm . 4 January 2012 . 20 September 2018 . Rediff.com.
  32. Web site: Geeta Bali's personality had the energy of Shammi Kapoor's dance . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104144753/https://www.thequint.com/amp/story/entertainment/geeta-balis-personality-had-the-energy-of-shammi-kapoors-dance#read-more . 4 January 2012 . 25 October 2020 . The Quint. 21 January 2016 .
  33. Web site: Talented dancer with screen presence — Geeta Bali went from penury to cinematic pinnacle . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104144753/https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/talented-dancer-with-screen-presence-geeta-bali-went-from-penury-to-cinematic-pinnacle/352262/?amp . 4 January 2012 . 20 July 2021 . The Print.
  34. Web site: My mother contributed in the making of Shammi Kapoor: Aditya Raj Kapoor remembers Geeta Bali . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104144753/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/flashback-my-mother-contributed-in-the-making-of-shammi-kapoor-aditya-raj-kapoor-remembers-geeta-bali-10307351.html/amp . 4 January 2012 . 27 April 2022 . Firstpost. 21 January 2022 .
  35. Web site: Unknown facts about actress Geeta Bali on her Death anniversary . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104144753/https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/talented-dancer-with-screen-presence-geeta-bali-went-from-penury-to-cinematic-pinnacle/352262/?amp . 4 January 2012 . 20 June 2022 . News18 Hindi. 21 January 2021 .
  36. News: The editor on the biggest stars in Hindi filmdom . Rediff.com . live . 30 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201128234730/https://m.rediff.com/millenni/rauf.htm . 28 November 2020.
  37. Web site: Watch: Vidya Balan stuns as Geeta Bali in her Marathi debut Ekk Albela . Hindustan Times . 28 May 2016 . 31 October 2020 .
  38. Book: Rajadhyaksha. Ashish. Willemen. Paul. Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. registration. 54. 1999. British Film Institute. 9780851706696. (1930-65) Hindi actress, dancer and singer, originally Harikirtan Kaur. Born in Amritsar, Punjab..
  39. Web site: December 10, 2011. Dev Anand saga: When Navketan went noir . 2021-04-12. The Times of India. en.
  40. Web site: Box Office India. Top Earners 1951. boxofficeindia.com. 7 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110121001128/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=156&catName=MTk1MQ. 21 January 2011. dead.
  41. News: Melodrama was his forte. 16 July 1999. Bir Kaur, Devinder. 2009-09-25. The Tribune.
  42. Web site: Bhatia. Uday. 2019-09-07. Who killed the Hindi gangster film?. 2021-08-13. mint. en. 2020-02-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20200217052657/https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/who-killed-the-hindi-gangster-film-1567771875756.html. dead.
  43. [List of Bollywood films of 1958]
  44. Geeta Bali
  45. Web site: Listen to Main Ek Shola Aag Babola Re from 1965 film 'Rangeen Raaten' . Hungama . 22 November 2020.
  46. Check out all the Filmfare Awards Winners from 1953 to 2023 . 30 December 2021 . Filmfare.
  47. Web site: Top Earners 1955. Box Office India. 10 July 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120130042736/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=161&catName=MTk1NQ. 30 January 2012.

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