Geeta Bali

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ade filmmaker Bhagwan, who was known for making low-budget action films. Bhagwan approached her with the script of Albela. However unlike Bhagwan’s earlier action films; Albela was a social film depicting the tragic tale of a poor youth blessed with dancing ability. How he is made a film star from a humble cook formed the crux of the film. Geeta Bali had a pivotal role in the film. She played the key role of a top actress, who recognizes the talent of a poor youth and helps him to become a famous film star. Initially, Geeta Bali was surprised to find a B-grade filmmaker like Bhagwan approaching an A-grade heroine. But when she read the script she was confident of its success and gave her nod. She did the film for a quarter of amount than her actual market price. But her gamble paid off as the movie turned out to be a money spinner an made her immortal. Even today the songs of the movie are a hit - Shola Jo Bhadke...Bholi Soorat Dil Ke Khote....Shaam Dhale Khidki Tale………… Death The doctor could not recognize Geeta Bali when she contacted Small Pox In the 50s Small Pox was an incurable disease. During the shooting of a Punjabi film, Rano, based on the novel Ek Chadar Maili Si by Rajinder Singh Bedi, she was shooting in a small village when accidently she contacted Small Pox. She was rushed to Mumbai but her fever ceased to come down. She was burning with an acute fever of 107°F. Hence doctors put her on ice but nothing worked. The once gorgeous-looking Geeta Bali had turned pale and yellow. Recalling the tragic incident Aditya Kapoor, her son, in an interview said, “Mom had turned so weak and frail and her face had turned so feeble that when the doctor treating her saw Mom’s picture on the wall he asked, “Who is this beautiful women?”! On 21 January 1965 at the young age of 35 Geeta Bali bid adieu this world!

sed hill station Ranikhet near Nainital in the then state of U.P. (now Uttarakhand). The two being typical Punjabis had a common interest in music and folk songs hence in the evening the two spend a lot of time mingling with the local crowd and having a ball time. While Shammi Kapoor was on sky nine assuming he had pleased Geeta hence no sooner he came to Mumbai he proposed to her for marriage. The news made lines in the media because Shammi Kapoor was just a struggler and Geeta Bali a top star! With many films on the floor, Geeta Bali displayed intelligence and turned down Shammi Kapoor’s marriage proposal. The film producers took a heave of relief while the two had planned a secret marriage. Since Shammi Kapoor’s family was against the marriage as Geeta Bali was a Sikh hence Shammi Kapoor eloped with Geeta and wedded her secretly in a temple in Mumbai in the wee hours of early morning so that nobody was aware of the marriage!! A few months later the secret was out and the Kapoor Khandaan accepted Geeta Bali as their Bahu. Further, Shammi Kapoor permitted Geeta Bali to continue acting in films as he was still to make a name for himself.