Updated on June 5th, 2023

While reading some notes from a book, it diverted my curiosity towards someone in 60s Bollywood names. I searched for further information, but there was nothing much available. Whatever I got is really a tragic tale of a beautiful lady who was certainly a wonderful personality in her time. She was Bollywood actress Vimmi. Born in Jalandhar, Punjab in 1943, she was the shining star of Bollywood in her time.

How she became a star?

Vimmi dared to marry the son of an industrialist against the wishes of her parents. She was not an actress when she got married. She got stuck in the eyes of music director Ravi at some party in Calcutta because of her fascinating personality. With the initiative of Ravi, she, along with her husband Shiv Agrawal, was invited to Bombay, where Ravi introduced her to filmmaker B.R. Chopra, who launched her in the lead role in the film ‘Humraj’. The movie proved a success, and she became a star. Her parents, who regarded acting in films as a disreputable profession, cut off all ties with her and disowned her. They were not happy about joining her film industry. Same way Agarwal’s family too disapproved of Vimmi working in films, they also cut off all ties with them.

Kisi pathar ki murat se

Her enchanting beauty was so amazing and magical that famous lyrist Sahir was impressed to write the famous song ‘Kisi Patthar ki Murat se, Mohabbat ka irrada hai, praschit ki tamana hai, ibadat ka irrada hai..’ She did few more successful movies after Humraj. Patanga(1970), Vachpan(1974), Aabroo (1968), Kahin aar kahi paar (1971) are other movies of Vimmi. Although she became a star with her first movie, she has been more concerned with how she looked and what she wore than her acting.

Family life of Vimmi

It was not all good in her life. When she moved to Bombay to become an actress, this decision was not acceptable to her in-law’s family, and they disowned her for this step. Good and bad things were moving along in the life of this dream lady. Her relationship with her husband was not running smoothly. He uses to interfere in her career, which producers did not like. Financial problems are further added to make relations tougher. Ultimately, they got separated, and her husband returned to his family.

Famous Songs picturised on Vimmi

• Tum Agar Saath Dene Ka Wada Karo – Hamraaz (1967)
• Na Muh Chupaake Jiyo – 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)

Downfall in career & personal life

Soon after the success of Humraaj, her next big project, Aabroo, was released in 1968. This film, however, was unsuccessful 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. 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. B R Chopra never repeated her in his upcoming films. The one silver lining for Vimi was the Punjabi devotional film, Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai (1969). The film was very successful and celebrated a silver jubilee. But it did not set again her career.

She was left alone, and fate was not on her side. Vimmi started living with Jolly, a dubious filmmaker. She did not have any work. In such a miserable situation, she found solace in alcohol. She did not have any money. Alcohol, particularly cheap alcohol, killed her ultimately in the year 1977.

Tears of the mystic rose

Here I want to share the book’s relevancy that I was reading, which attracted me to the life of this exceptional lady. The Book titled ‘Tears of the Mystic Rose’ written by Swami Rajneesh is a sort of life sketch of the writer. Rajneesh is a disciple of ‘Osho Rajneesh’ and the son of the same Bollywood actress Vimmi and her industrialist husband, Shiv Agrawal. There are few references in his book where he is narrating his childhood memories. In the book, he has admitted his disliking towards his father because of his arrogant nature. In contrast, he described his mother as beautiful, kind, humble, sensitive, radiant, and full of compassion toward all those who met her. He further writes that she was from an elementary and honest family. Her parents were simple school teachers.

He also narrates the days when the matter of separation was in process. As he was always supporting his mother, his father did not like him. When he was on winter vacation from his boarding school in Darjiling, he saw his father having alcohol and making sexual advances with film actresses every night. One such night there was a fight between them, and the son left the house and never returned.

One morning in November 1977

As the book described, ‘One morning in November 1977, I woke up to see the newspapers announced the untimely death of my mother and under mysterious circumstances. No one was with her at the hospital at the time of her death, and it prevented my father and that side of the family from seeing her due to a court order. Unfortunately, her body was taken for cremation with none of us present such a tragic story… that a famous movie star was cremated with very few people present for the last rites.’

Nothing much is available on this lady who was gifted with ultimate beauty and worst fate. Her end was harrowing. She died broken-hearted and penniless, unloved, uncared. A few friends and well-wishers arranged her cremation. No family member was present at her cremation. They reported the cause of her death to be heavy drinking. She was still in her mid-thirties when she bid adieu to the world.
Source References: Wikipedia, Tears of the Mystic Rose

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