Vyjayanthimala, the film actress and politician, was an exponent of which dance form?

Explanation

Vyjayanthimala, born in 1933 in Chennai (then Madras), is one of the most famous actresses in the history of Indian cinema and an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer. She is known for bringing classical dance to Hindi films in the 1950s and 1960s.

Vyjayanthimala learnt Bharatanatyam from the famous guru Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai of the Vazhuvoor style and gave her first dance performance as a child. She made her film debut in the Tamil film "Vazhkai" (1949) and soon became a star in Hindi cinema. She acted in many famous films, such as "Nagin" (1954), "Devdas" (1955), "Naya Daur" (1957), "Madhumati" (1958), "Ganga Jamuna" (1961) and "Sangam" (1964). She was known for her beautiful dance sequences, and she is often described as one of the first actresses to become a dancing star of Hindi cinema. After retiring from films, she continued to perform and teach Bharatanatyam, and she entered politics, becoming a member of the Lok Sabha from Chennai South and later of the Rajya Sabha. She received the Padma Shri (1968) and the Padma Vibhushan (2024), as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Bharatanatyam.

Bharatanatyam is the classical dance of Tamil Nadu. Its main styles (banis) include Pandanallur, Vazhuvoor, Thanjavur and Kalakshetra. Other actresses trained in Bharatanatyam include Hema Malini, Padmini, Vyjayanthimala's contemporary Kamala Lakshman (Kumari Kamala), Sudha Chandran and Shobana.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kathak is associated with dancers such as Sitara Devi and Birju Maharaj.
• ✗Odissi is associated with dancers such as Kelucharan Mohapatra and Sonal Mansingh.
• ✗Mohiniyattam is associated with dancers such as Kalyanikutty Amma and Kanak Rele.