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Vijayasree’s Brief Stardom, Contested Film Scene, and Death at 21
Vijayasree was an actress from Kerala who started acting when she was only 13.
She became very popular in Malayalam movies during the early 1970s.
Many people admired her beauty and compared her to Marilyn Monroe.
She often acted with the famous star Prem Nazir.
In one movie, a costume reportedly slipped during filming, but the camera kept recording.
Vijayasree reportedly thought that footage would be removed, but it appeared in the finished movie.
She was said to be upset about how the scene was used and wanted different kinds of roles.
She died by suicide at 21, but no one has proved exactly why she died.
Vijayasree entered cinema at 13 and became a major Malayalam film star in the early 1970s.
Her pairing with Prem Nazir produced several successful films and made her one of the industry’s most popular actresses.
She reportedly objected to compromising footage from Ponnapuram Kotta being included in the final film.
Accounts claim the footage caused her distress, while allegations of blackmail have never been conclusively established.
Vijayasree died by suicide on March 17, 1974, aged 21, with no reported suicide note or confirmed single explanation.
- Who
- Vijayasree, a Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada film actress, was the subject of the accounts.
- What
- The accounts describe her rapid rise to stardom, controversy over footage in Ponnapuram Kotta, and her death by suicide at age 21.
- Where
- She was born in Poojapura, Thiruvananthapuram, and worked across South Indian film industries.
- When
- She was born on January 8, 1953, and died on March 17, 1974.
- Why
- The reason for her suicide was never conclusively established; accounts variously mention distress over the film footage and difficulties in her personal life.
Exploitation and Film Controversy
Other Reported Personal Difficulties
Possible reason for her death
Exploitation and Film Controversy
Some accounts link Vijayasree’s distress and death to the inclusion and circulation of compromising footage from Ponnapuram Kotta, along with an unconfirmed allegation that a cameraman used it to blackmail her.
Other Reported Personal Difficulties
Other accounts point to difficulties in Vijayasree’s personal life, including a reported relationship with a man she allegedly wanted to marry. No single explanation has been confirmed.
Use of the waterfall footage
Exploitation and Film Controversy
Accounts say Vijayasree believed the footage would be removed, objected to its inclusion, and was upset when it appeared in the final film.
Other Reported Personal Difficulties
The film retained the scene, and it reportedly attracted large audiences, but the articles do not provide a confirmed account from the filmmakers explaining why it remained.
Key facts
- Birth
- January 8, 1953, in Poojapura, Thiruvananthapuram
- First film appearance
- The 1966 Tamil film Chitti, at age 13
- Malayalam debut
- Poojapushpam in 1969
- Famous screen pairing
- Prem Nazir
- Controversial film
- Ponnapuram Kotta, released in 1973
- Date of death
- March 17, 1974
- Age at death
- 21
Quotes
Malayalam photographer
A Malayalam photographer recalling Vijayasree and Prem Nazir's screen partnership
“She's the Marilyn Monroe of Malayalam cinema. No other woman has as many fans as Vijayasree. She delivered so many hits in such a short time, a feat no other actress has achieved. No other actress has made such a rapid impact on Malayalam cinema. People flocked to theaters just to see her.”
NDTV
“These two were the most successful pairing in Malayalam cinema. I remember not a single film they did together flopping.”
NDTV
Sources
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