Vyjayanthimala on working with Dilip Kumar: It was all method & timing

Working with the actor in four of his hallmark films — Devdas, Madhumati, Naya Daur, and Ganga Jamuna – was an education and an experience that formed a lifetime relationship, according to Vyjayanthimala Bali.

“I was blown away when Bimalda invited me to portray Chandramukhi (in Devdas) since I would be playing beside the Tragedy King. But he made it extremely easy for me,” recalls Vyjayanthimala, who is still doing Bharatanatyam at the age of 86.

The first scenario she performed out with him was very straightforward. “Aur mat piyo Devdas (Don’t drink any more, Devdas) was the line. When Devdas stepped in intoxicated, I had no choice but to say it. The camera was supposed to capture Devdas, then follow him around and turn around to focus on me when I spoke that line with an expression of anguish and helplessness.”

She assumed it would be simple. “I realized Dilip Sahab was not on the sets when the technicians stated they were ready to film and Bimalda glanced at me to see whether I was ready. He was doing fast rounds of the studio to acquire that worn, weary appearance, and he had directed them to start the camera when he would stagger in with beads of actual perspiration on his brow and a look of exhaustion,” an assistant said. Vyjayanthimala said that’s when she started to feel worried. “Here was an actor who went to such lengths to create reality, and here I was, having done little preparation and ready to face the camera. When it first started and I witnessed Dilip Sahab’s performance, I was blown away.

He hears a voice and goes in pursuit of it in ‘Madhumati.’ “Who are you?” he says as a girl’s face emerges from the fog. “Madhumati,” she responds. Vyjayanthimala recalls that the sequence was excellent in its conception and execution. “Dilip Sahab constantly modulated his voice to the circumstances, and the greatest moments in ‘Madhumati’ demonstrated how skillfully he exploited the texture of his gentle voice to heighten the tension and mystery.”

It was all about timing for him, she claims. “He emphasized that interaction, or how you react to the other character, is more essential than action. And that the timing of any motion, even a simple head nod, is crucial. I was able to complete it due to my Bharatanatyam training.

Vyjayanthimala quit the industry, but he and Saira Banu remained friends. She recalls her first meeting with them in 2017. “My son Suchindra and I traveled to Mumbai to accept an award. Saira dispatched a car, and I paid a visit to Dilip Sahab. “See who has arrived, Dhanno (Vyjayanthimala’s character in ‘Ganga Jamuna’) has come,” Saira sought to rouse him, adding, “See who has come, Dhanno (Vyjayanthimala’s character in ‘Ganga Jamuna’). It was only a flash when he opened his eyes. Saira inquired about his appearance, and I said that he looks as wonderful as he did in ‘Madhumati.’ In 2019, I saw them again, but he was extremely quiet.”