Geeta Bali
Geeta Bali born Harkirtan Kaur, was an Indian film actress who appeared in Hindi language films. She was considered one of the most spontaneous and expressive stars of Bollywood for her acting.
Early life
Geeta Bali was born in the pre-partition Punjab in the city of Sargodha in British India as Harkirtan Kaur in 1930. Her family moved to Mumbai when she started to get breaks in films.Career
Geeta Baali started her film career as a child actress, at the age of 12, with the film The Cobbler. She made her debut as a heroine in Badnaami.Bali became a star in the 1950s. She had also worked earlier with her future brother-in-law Raj Kapoor in Bawre Nain and with her future father-in-law Prithviraj Kapoor in Anand Math. Unlike other actresses who gave up films after marrying into the Kapoor family, Bali kept acting until her death. Her last film was Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai in 1963. She did more than 70 films in a 10 year career.
Bali helped Surinder Kapoor become a producer.
Personal life
Her family lived in Amritsar before 1947. Her father, Kartar Singh was known as a philosopher. He was a Sikh scholar and kirtan singer. Her maternal grandfather, Takhat Singh, was the founder of Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalay - a boarding school for girls and the first of its kind established in 1904 in Ferozepur. Her elder brother DigVijay Singh Bali was a film director. He directed the movie Raag Rang starring her and Ashok Kumar in 1952.The parents encouraged their daughters, Harkirtan and Hardarshan, to learn classical music and dance, horse riding and gatka fencing.On 23 August 1955, Geeta married Shammi Kapoor, with whom she was working in the film Coffee House. They had two children, a son and a daughter.
She died on 21 January 1965, having contracted smallpox while shooting a Punjabi film, Rano, based on a novel Eik Chadar Maili Si by Rajinder Singh Bedi. He was directing the film and she was the producer. Bedi, devastated by the untimely death of Bali, abandoned the project. He wrote later that he had put the novel, Ek Chadar Maili Si, on her burning funeral pyre.
Filmography
Her films include Sohag Raat with Bharat Bhushan, Dulari co-starring Madhubala; then as the spoilt younger sister in Badi Bahen co-starring Suraiya, Rehman and Pran, Bawre Nain with future brother-in-law Raj Kapoor, Baazi with Dev Anand, Ghayal with Sheikh Mukhtar, Albela and Jhamela with Bhagwan Dada, Jaal with Dev Anand, Baaz with Guru Dutt, Bara Dari with Ajit, Jailor and Mr. India, Kashti with Dev Anand. She received a Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Vachan and another nomination as Best Supporting Actress for film Kavi. One of her memorable movies is Anand Math.| Year | Film | Notes |
| 1942 | The Cobbler | child actress at age 12 |
| 1946 | Badnaami | debut as heroine |
| 1948 | Sohag Raat | with Bharat Bhushan |
| 1949 | Dulari | co-starring Madhubala |
| 1949 | Badi Bahen | co-starring Suraiya, Rehman and Pran |
| 1950 | Bawre Nain | with future brother-in-law Raj Kapoor |
| 1951 | Baazi | with Dev Anand |
| 1951 | Ghayal | with Sheikh Mukhtar |
| 1951 | Albela | with Bhagwan Dada |
| 1952 | Jaal | with Dev Anand |
| 1952 | Raag Rang | with Ashok Kumar |
| 1952 | Anand Math | with future father-in-law Prithviraj Kapoor |
| 1953 | Baaz | with Guru Dutt |
| 1953 | Jhamela | with Bhagwan Dada |
| 1954 | Kashti | with Dev Anand |
| 1955 | Vachan | Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress |
| 1955 | Kavi | Nomination as Best Supporting Actress |
| 1955 | Bara Dari | with Ajit |
| 1957 | Coffee House | with husband Shammi Kapoor |
| 1958 | Jailor | with Sohrab Modi |
| 1961 | Mr. India | with I S Johar |
| 1963 | Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai | last film |
| 1965 | Rano | filming abandoned |