'Today's cinema is repetitive'

She has a poise that fails to betray her age. Bright and expressive eyes, disarming smile and an infectious warmth and energy… looks like Vyjayantimala Bali never ages.

Dancer, actress, politician Vyjayantimala knows that she grabs a lot of eyeballs. “People still want to see me perform and even today I get invited to perform across the country,” Vyjayantimala says and adds, “it’s a one track dedication, devotion and sincerity that has got me thus far.”

Vyjayantimala shared with Metrolife her thoughts on new age dancers, movies, politics and her undying love for the art – dance. Art is divine. This was what Vyjayantimala was taught and tutored as a child.

“I grew up amidst Vedic chants, the chiming of bells. I woke up to the sound of melodious shlokas. Art is a discipline and a habit that grows and matures with you,” she explains.

While she thinks it’s no harm to experiment she feels too much experimentation makes it difficult to sustain the traditional art forms. “We see a lot of innovation creeping into traditional art forms. I think all of this arises from a sense of insecurity. Distortion and tampering with tradition will lead to stagnation,” she observes.

 She says she had to practice tremendous amount of patience and perseverance to get this far. “I have never yearned for quick stardom. If you are sincere in your thoughts and deeds keep at it and success will be yours,” she advises.

Talking about her rather long stint with films she says that she has played varied roles — of a sophisticated woman, of a rustic, dramatic and even that of a prostitute. “There was so much variety those days. Every character seemed new and there was a different kind of challenge. Today’s cinema is repetitive,” she avers and adds, “the young aspire to be more Americanised and forget that they were born on Indian soil and must behave like Indians.”

 Talking about her strength as a politician she says, “I am outspoken and say things that I don’t like straight on the face.”