New Delhi: When Shammi Kapoor sings “Tumne mujhe dekha hokar ke mehrban” in the slick whodunnit “Teesri Manzil” (1965), the serenade is not just meant for his peeved heroine but actually a heartfelt tribute to his recently deceased wife—the vivacious, spontaneous, and much-admired Geeta Bali.
And he had good reason to laud her—his luck had turned after their marriage, and after over 15 flops, he hit the big time. The Shammi Kapoor persona of a jiving and carefree romantic hero was born. Their son Aditya Raj Kapoor termed his father’s dancing a reflection of his mother’s personality.
In her short lifespan of 34 years, and a film career which spanned two-thirds of it, Geeta Bali had made waves as she danced with the legendary Bhagwan Dada – especially in the faux Hawaiian “Shola jo bhadke” from “Albela” (1951), matched histrionics with all the top heroes of her time from Dev Anand to Dharmendra, persuaded Guru Dutt to step in front of the camera, stood her ground against the likes of Madhubala and Suraiya, and left even Meena Kumari awestruck at her capability and versatility.
However, despite her successes and the acclaim she enjoyed, Geeta Bali, born on this day (November 30) in Amritsar in 1930, missed one defining role like her top contemporaries—Nargis in “Mother India” (1957), Madhubala in “Mughal-e-Azam” (1960), and Meena Kumari in countless performances. Her attempt to remedy this contributed to her untimely and agonising death.
Born Harkirtan Kaur Bali, the daughter of granthi Pandit Kartar Singh Bali – common for his Mohyal community where there were no clear demarcations between Hindu and Sikh, she was a born performer from her childhood. Uncharacteristically for the age, her parents allowed her and other siblings to learn music, dance, riding and gatka. Geeta Bali was nine when she and her sister tried a public performance in Lahore, but the community objected, and police eventually escorted the duo to safety after threats against their family.
Despite the community’s objections, the following year, she secured a role at AIR Lahore, hosting children’s programmes. Her debut as a child artist in the Punjabi film “The Cobbler” (1942) and her adult debut in “Badnaami” (1946) marked the beginning of her journey. Actor-filmmaker Mazhar Khan, impressed by her talent, invited her to Bombay in 1948, where she and her family were initially put up in the large bathroom of a decrepit mansion.
Despite the initial setbacks, Geeta Bali’s passion for acting never wavered. Her talent caught the attention of ace filmmaker Kidar Sharma, who saw beyond Geeta’s looks — she was no conventional beauty but had lively eyes and a mobile countenance — and recognised her potential. Sharma made Geeta the star of “Suhaag Raat” (1948), opposite Bharat Bhushan and Begum Para, marking the beginning of her successful career.
However, as Sharma’s staff pleaded with him to replace her, young Geeta’s career may have ended on the first day due to her marked Punjabi accent and pronunciation. However, Sharma, who had launched Raj Kapoor and Madhubala, retained faith in the bubbly youngster from Amritsar who, by the dubbing, improved her diction.
Geeta Bali’s humility and dedication to her craft were evident when she, a petite woman, was required to lift and carry the hero on her shoulders for a scene. She managed it without any difficulty, earning the respect and admiration of the entire unit.
The film was a hit but led to a precarious situation. Her mother, swayed by the money, began signing projects for her right and left without any thought, and Geeta Bali, who had requested Sharma to be freed, was caught in a morass of B- and C-category films that left her career in tatters. She went back to a forgiving Sharma, who ignored (her) mother and gave the talented young lady another chance with “Bawre Nain” (1950) with Raj Kapoor; the film made her a name again.
A chastened Geeta Bali continued to give her earnings to her mother but retained the sole right to choose films.
She went on to impress audiences as the nightclub singer in “Baazi” (1951), where “Tadbeer se bigdi taqdeer” proved to be a boon for her, as well as namesake singer Geeta Dutt, the devout Maria of “Jaal” (1952), and the tomboyish heroine Shanta of “Anand Math” (1952), with a spirited rendition of “Vande Mataram”, among others.
Courted by Shammi Kapoor, since they acted together in “Miss Coca Cola” (1955), she kept putting him off until one night in 1955, when she said yes. However, she remained a rare exception to the Kapoor family, where daughters-in-law were not expected to work despite raising two children.
Finally, her desire to craft a unique role with Rano, based on Rajinder Singh Bedi’s Ek Chadar Maili Si, proved fatal. She caught smallpox while shooting in a Punjab village. Brought back to Bombay, she passed away early in January 1965. The film was abandoned after Geeta’s death.
Vikas Datta –IANS
