Vimi (1943[1] – 22 August 1977) was an Indian actress who acted in Indian films such as Aabroo, Hamraaz 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]
Vimi | |
|---|---|
 Vimi in 1968 | |
| Born | 1943[1] |
| Died | 22 August 1977 (aged 33–34) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Years active | 1967–1974 |
| Known for | Bollywood films |
Career
editVimi 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 1973.[4] Her last film was Krodhi, released four years after she died in 1977.
Personal life
editVimi was a Punjabi Sikh girl who married Shiv Agarwal, the son of an Industrialist, with whom she had one son and one daughter. Music Director Ravi got 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 supported her decision, her parents and relatives abandoned the couple because they 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. At one point, she was called the Most Beautiful Actress of Bollywood. Her famous Filmfare photoshoot, in which she wore a stylised swimsuit, made headlines and established her as a bold actress. She owned a huge house, luxury cars and a huge wardrobe, due to her being the highest-paid actress at the time. Soon after the success of Humraaz, her next big project Aabroo was released in 1968. This film, however, bombed at the box office. Even veteran actors like Ashok Kumar and Nirupa Roy who were also part of the film couldn't do much to save it.[1] After the failure of Aabroo things went spiralling downward for Vimi who was now reduced to posing for photoshoots in magazines. Patanga, her 1971 film with Shashi Kapoor, also failed to strike a chord with the audience. Thus after successive flop films, she went into oblivion.[6]
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 started a textile business in Calcutta but that too failed miserably, and was forced to sell her assets to pay off debts, leaving her homeless. She had started a relationship with a film broker but he had allegedly sold her into prostitution. Devastated by her professional and personal life, Vimi took refuge in alcohol.[8] [9]
Finally, after a tumultuous and tragic life, Vimi died on 22 August 1977 due to liver disease caused by alcohol consumption in the general ward of the Nanavati hospital in Mumbai. Her body was dishonourably taken to the crematorium in a thela hand cart.[10][11]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| 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 | Cameo | |
| 1971 | Kahin Aar Kahin Paar | Dancer princess | |
| 1973 | Kahani Hum Sab Ki | ||
| 1974 | Vachan | ||
| 1978 | Premi Gangaram | ||
| 1981 | Krodhi | Madhavan's Mistress |
Songs
editSongs 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
edit- ^ 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.