Geeta Bali (born Harkirtan Kaur; 1930 ‒ 21 January 1965) was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. Bali is regarded among the finest actresses in the history of Indian cinema,[3] Bali acted in over 75 films in a career spanning over two decades. She was twice nominated for Filmfare Awards.[4]
Geeta Bali was born as Harikirtan Kaur in Amritsar in the Punjab Province of British India in 1930.[1][2] She had an elder sister Haridarshan Kaur, whose daughter is former film actress Yogeeta Bali.[6] Bali was trained in classical dance, horse riding and Gatka.[7]
Career
Baali started her film career as a child actress, at the age of 12, with the film The Cobbler (1942). She made her debut as a lead actress in Badnaami (1946). Bali went onto act in over 75 films.[8]Sohag Raat (1948) and Badi Bahen (1949) were her early success.[9][10][11]
Bali became a star in the 1950s. She worked with her future brother-in-law Raj Kapoor in Bawre Nain (1950)[12] and with her future father-in-law Prithviraj Kapoor in Anand Math, both of which were successful.[13] Unlike other actresses who gave up films after marrying into the Kapoor family, Bali kept acting until her death. Bali helped Surinder Kapoor become a producer.[14][15]
Bali met actor Shammi Kapoor in 1955, during the film Miss Coca Cola. They fell in love during the shooting of the film Rangeen Raaten, where he was the leading actor and she played a cameo. Four months later, the couple got married at Banganga Temple, near Malabar Hill of Mumbai.[23] They had a son, Aditya Raj Kapoor, on 1 July 1956, at Shirodkar's Hospital, Mumbai, a year after they were married. Five years later, in 1961, they had a daughter, Kanchan Kapoor.[24][25]
Bali died on 21 January 1965, at the age of 35, due to illness from smallpox.[3][26] After her death, Kapoor married Neila Devi, from Bhojapara, Gujarat, on 27 January 1969, who also took care of Bali's children.[27][28]
Artistry and legacy
"I consider her one of our great artistes. There was nobody who performed like her. She was very versatile. When she entered the industry, everybody had written her off. I believed in her and made her a star."[29]
Bali is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema.[4] In 2022, she was placed in Outlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list.[30] One of the leading actress of the 50s, Bali has appeared in Box Office India's "Top Actresses" list in 1951, 1952 and 1953.[31] Bali was the first woman in the Kapoor family who did not gave up acting after marriage.[32]
Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com noted, "Geeta Bali’s terrific comic timing and natural manners made her stand out in a crowd of stilted, self-aware beauties. Yet, she was equally adept at moving the viewer in vulnerable, wounded parts."[33] Megha Mathur of The Quint termed her one of the "most interesting actresses" of her time. Her son Aditya Raj Kapoor said, "If you see the way Shammi Kapoor danced, that was Geeta Bali’s personality."[7] Pia Krishnankutty of The Print said that Bali had a "captivating on-screen presence" and wrote, "Given how she acted in a range of genres, whether tragedy, drama or comedy, Bali never fell into the trap of a typecast."[34]
Subhash K. Jha of Firstpost termed her "ebullient" and said, "Geeta Bali was the original Sridevi…perky, bubbly and effervescent."[35] Dinesh Raheja noted, "Geeta Bali's reputation as an actress rests more on her performances than her roles. Natural, spontaneous and gifted with a spot-on sense of comic timing."[36] Journalist Rauf Ahmed added Bali on his "Biggest stars in Hindi filmdom" list and noted, "Bali was the first natural. The earliest tomboy among the actresses. Earthy, effervescent and uninhibited, she shed coyness and simpering so characteristic of the early Hindi film heroine."[37]
In the 2016 film Ekk Albela, Bali was portrayed by actress Vidya Balan.[38]
