Veteran Actress and Dancer Vijaya Bhanu Passes Away at 68

Vijaya Bhanu’s name may not be familiar to the current generation, but she was a shining star in the 1970s. She acted alongside top leading actors of that time and gained great recognition. Within just fifteen years, she appeared in over 100 films not only in Telugu but also in Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi languages, leaving a lasting impact.

She won the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress for her memorable role in K. Balachander’s masterpiece "Idi Katha Kaadu," starring alongside legends like Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan, and Jayasudha. At the peak of her career, she fell in love with and married an American, settling down in Los Angeles, USA. Being a natural dancer and awarded the title 'Natyamayuri,' she founded a dance school named ‘Sri Shakti Sharada Nrityaniketan’ in Los Angeles, where she taught many students.

Vijaya Bhanu was an expert in classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Kathakali, and performed extensively worldwide. Recently, she returned to India last month. While visiting her residence in Chennai, she suffered from heatstroke and fell ill. Despite receiving treatment, she breathed her last at the age of 68. Her sudden demise has deeply saddened prominent actress and former parliamentarian Jayaprada, actor Suman, noted director-producer Y.V.S. Chowdary, and many others.