Vimi
Vimi | |
|---|---|
 Vimi in 1968 | |
| Born | 1943[1] |
| Died | 22 August 1977 (aged 33–34) Mumbai |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Years active | 1967–1974 |
| Known for | Bollywood films |
Vimi (1943[1] – 22 August 1977) was an Indian actress who acted in Indian films such as Hamraaz, Aabroo, Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai (Punjabi film), and Patanga. She starred with Sunil Dutt in Hamraaz and became notable. According to film expert Rajesh Subramanian, a fraud film broker named Jolly ruined her career and image, by posing as a fake boyfriend and forcing Vimi into prostitution.[2]
Career
Vimi debuted opposite Sunil Dutt in the B. R. Chopra-directed Hamraaz in 1967.[3] The film was a hit but did not help her career. She appeared with Shashi Kapoor in Patanga (1971) and Vachan (1974). She was the leading lady in Aabroo (1968), opposite Deepak Kumar. She appeared in the Punjabi film Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai in 1969.[4] Her last film was director Subhash Ghai’s Krodhi, released four years after she died in 1977.
Personal life
Vimi was born as Vimlesh Kaur Wadhavan in a Punjabi Sikh family. She married Shiv Agarwal, an industrialist's son, with whom she had a son and a daughter. It was a love marriage, against the wishes of her family. Due to her age and caste difference, her family opposed this marriage. Music Director Ravi was introduced to her at a party in Calcutta and later invited her and Shiv to Mumbai. He introduced them to B. R. Chopra and that is how Vimi got her first film.[5] Even though her husband initially supported her decision, her parents and relatives were against Vimi joining the film industry.
As Sunil Dutt sang to her ("Na Sar Jhuka Ke Jeeyo, Na Muh Chhupake Jeeyo"), the enchanting image of Vimi won the viewers' hearts. She was called the most beautiful actress. Her famous Filmfare photoshoot, in which she wore a stylised swimsuit, made headlines. After the success of Humraaz, her next film Aabroo released in 1968, bombed at the box office.[1] In 1969 Vimi acted ina Punjabi film Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai (which also starred Prithviraj Kapoor). Thereafter, things went spiralling downward. Patanga, her 1971 film with Shashi Kapoor, failed to strike a chord with the audience. After that she was reduced to posing for photoshoots in magazines and soon went into oblivion.[6] The Dharmendra starrer Krodhi, where she was cast in a minuscule role as the mistress of a smuggler played by Amrish Puri was her last film.
In an obituary released after her death, several hostile details were revealed which included her being physically abused by her husband and their eventual divorce.[7] Following her separation, she had started a textile business in Calcutta but that too had failed miserably, leaving her homeless. She had started a relationship with a film broker called Jolly but he had allegedly sold her into prostitution. Devastated by her professional and personal life, Vimi took refuge in alcohol.[8][9] Vimi died on 22 August 1977 from liver disease caused by alcohol consumption in the general ward of the Nanavati hospital in Mumbai. Her body was dishonourably taken to the crematorium.[10][11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Movies | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Hamraaz | Meena Verma | Debut film |
| 1968 | Aabroo | Neena | |
| 1969 | Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai | Channi | National Award winning Punjabi film[12] |
| 1971 | Patanga | Renu | |
| 1971 | Guddi | Vimi | Cameo |
| 1971 | Kahin Aar Kahin Paar | Dancer princess | |
| 1973 | Kahani Hum Sab Ki | ||
| 1974 | Vachan | ||
| 1978 | Premi Gangaram | Lila Teacher | |
| 1981 | Krodhi | Madhavan's mistress |
Songs
Songs picturised on her:
- "Tum Agar Saath Dene Ka Wada Karo" - Hamraaz (1967)
- "Na Muh Chhupaake Jiyo" - Hamraaz (1967)
- "Neele Gagan Ke Tale" - Hamraaz (1967)
- "Kisi Pathar Ki Moorat Se" - Hamraaz (1967)
- "Aap Se Pyar Hua" - Aabroo (1968)
- "Jinhe Hum Bhulna Chahe" - Aabroo (1968)
- "Thoda Ruk Jayegi To Tera Kya Jayega" - Patanga (1971)
References
- ^ a b c "The untold, tragic tale of 'Humraaz' actress Vimi". News18. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
- ^ Singh, Simran. "This superstar actress, mother of 2, was forced into prostitution, left abandoned by husband, died penniless at..." DNA India. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "Hamraaz (1967)". The Hindu. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai (1969 film) - cast and crew". Indian Cinema Heritage Foundation (Cinemaazi.com) website. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
- ^ "This Actress Debuted In BR Chopra's Film, But Faded Into Oblivion And Was Forced Into Prostitution By Lover". Times Now. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "शशि कपूर की हीरोइन, पहली ही फिल्म से बनीं स्टार, प्यार में मिला धोखा, जवानी में ही हुई मौत, नसीब नहीं हुए 4 कंधे". News18 हिंदी (in Hindi). 6 September 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "Pakeezah actress Geeta Kapoor's case, while heartbreaking, is not an isolated one". Firstpost. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- ^ "Hindi Cinema's Fallen Stars". Probashi. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ "Tragic Story Of Famous Actress From Super Stardom To Prostitution, Dead Body Was Taken To Graveyard Via Handcart". Pagal Parrot. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ The Times of India directory and year book including who's who. Bennett, Coleman & Co. 1979. p. 241.
- ^ "Tragic life: Vimi's dead body was pushed in a thela to the cremation ground". Yahoo Entertainment. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "17th National Film Awards (1970)". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2025.