Vijayshanti is celebrating her birthday today. Lady Amitabh, as she’s fondly known, has had the longest run ever as a heroine in Indian films. Born on June 24, she was destined for great things for by the time she was a teenager, she had grabbed the great Bharathiraja’s attention and he cast her in his movie Kallukkul Eeram at the tender age of 15. She debuted almost immediately in Telugu with Kilaadi Krishna opposite superstar Krishna. Soon, she was exclusively acting in Telugu films.
For more than ten years, she filled the glamour slot with her outstanding physical presence. Then in 1990, Karthavyam, where she plays a tough cop, brought her the National Film Award. Since then, she has never looked back, getting into the groove of the iron-willed heroine with great gusto.
Though she never looked beyond Tollywood, she has commanded great respect and a good market as a heroine in Tamil; almost all her movies were dubbed with great results. No other heroine could have faced Superstar Rajinikanth as a villainess and lived to tell the tale. But not only was she a good villainess, one can say that people saw Mannan as much for Vijayshanthi as for Rajinikanth’s style.
Ironically, her political career has not shaped up so well. She joined the BJP and gradually reduced her film appearances until she stopped working in films totally and started concentrating on her political career.
Even at 43, she’s fit and assayed more roles in more movies than most heroines of her calibre have till date. Galatta.com wishes her many more happy years of acting in heroine-oriented movies.
