Updated on November 10th, 2026
While reading notes from a book, I came across a name from 60s Bollywood. I searched for more information, but found little. I found a tragic tale about a beautiful lady who was certainly a wonderful personality in her time. She was a Bollywood actress, Vimmi. Born in Jalandhar, Punjab, in 1943, she was a shining star of Bollywood.
How did she become a star?
Vimmi dared to marry an industrialist’s son against her parents’ wishes. She wasn’t an actress when she married. At a party in Calcutta, music director Ravi noticed her fascinating personality. At Ravi’s initiative, she and her husband, Shiv Agrawal, were invited to Bombay, where Ravi introduced her to filmmaker B.R. Chopra, who cast 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 her joining the film industry. In the same way, Agarwal’s family disapproved of Vimmi working in films and cut off all ties with them.
Kisi pathar ki murat se
Her enchanting beauty was so amazing and magical that famous lyricist 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 a few more successful movies after Humraaz. Other movies by Vimmi include Patanga (1970), Vachpan (1974), Aabroo (1968), and Kahin aur nahi par (1971). Although she became a star with her first movie, she has been more concerned with how she looked and what she wore than with her acting.
Family life of Vimmi
Her life was not all good. When she moved to Bombay to become an actress, her in-laws disapproved and disowned her for the decision. Good and bad things were moving along in the life of this dream lady. Her relationship with her husband was not running smoothly. He interfered in her career, which producers disliked. Financial problems further made relations tougher. Ultimately, they got separated, and her husband returned to his family.
Famous Songs picturized 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 Humraaj’s success, she released her next big project, Aabroo, in 1968. However, the film was a box-office failure. Even veteran actors like Ashok Kumar and Nirupa Roy, who also appeared in the film, couldn’t do much to save it. Her 1971 film Patanga with Shashi Kapoor also failed to strike a chord with audiences. After successive flops, she fell into oblivion. B R Chopra never repeated her in his upcoming films. The one silver lining for Vimmi 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 her career back.
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, ultimately killed her in 1977.
Tears of the Mystic Rose
Here, I want to share why the book I was reading was relevant and how it 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. His book includes a few passages where he recounts childhood memories. In the book, he admits to disliking his father for his arrogance. In contrast, he describes his mother as beautiful, kind, humble, sensitive, radiant, and full of compassion for everyone who met her. He further writes that she came from a simple, honest family. Her parents were simple schoolteachers.
He also recounts the days when the separation was underway. Because he always supported his mother, his father disliked him. When he was on winter vacation from his boarding school in Darjeeling, he saw his father having alcohol and making sexual advances with film actresses every night. One such night, they fought, 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 announcing the untimely death of my mother under mysterious circumstances. No one was with her at the hospital at the time of her death, which 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.’
Little is known about this lady, who was gifted with ultimate beauty and the worst fate. Her end was harrowing. She died broken-hearted and penniless, unloved, uncared for. 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 died.
Source References: Wikipedia, Tears of the Mystic Rose
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3 Comments
Very interesting to read. It was really the whole story of the girl. Very heart touching tale of a beautiful lady. Thanks for sharing.
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