The family members and close friends of the renowned actor and dancer Vyjayanthimala Bali have denied recent rumours circulating on social media about her health, confirming that she is in “good health”.

“Dr Vyjayanthimala Bali is in good health, and any news that says otherwise is false. Before sharing, please validate the news source. Please stop spreading baseless rumours. We are better than this,” wrote Chennai-based Carnatic musician Girijashankar Sundaresan in his Instagram story.

The story was re-shared by Nandini Bali, wife of Vyjayanthimala’s son, Suchindra Bali.

Sundaresan had earlier posted a video on January 18 of Vyjayanthimala performing the Carnatic composition Daasiganunta in the raga Abheri, which he had sung. The performance took place at Kala Pradarshini in Chennai.

Vyjayanthimala made her acting debut in 1949 with the Tamil film Vaazhkai and went on to star in several Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films.

She gained national fame for her portrayal of Chandramukhi in Bimal Roy’s Devdas (1955), which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. However, she turned down the award, stating that she did not view her role as a “supporting actress.”

Her role in Devdas opened doors for her to work alongside some of Bollywood’s biggest stars.

At the peak of her career, Vyjayanthimala retired from acting after marrying Dr. Chamanlal Bali, the family doctor of actor Raj Kapoor.

In 1984, she joined the Indian National Congress, resigning from the party in 1999 to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Vyjayanthimala was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1968 and received the prestigious Padma Vibhushan award in 2024.