Vasundhara Devi (1917–1988) was an Indian actress, trained Bharathanatyam dancer and carnatic singer. The Indian actress Vyjayanthimala is her daughter.
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Early life and background
Vasundhara Devi was born to M. N. Srinivasan and Yadugiri Devi into a Tamil-speaking family of Mandyam Iyengars. Her father worked at the Imperial Bank of India and also occasionally performed comedic roles in amateur stage plays. According to Vyjayanthimala in her autobiography, Bonding...A Memoir, he held strongly patriarchal views and ensured that the women of his family were restricted to domestic roles.
Despite her father's disapproval, Vasundhara pursued music and dance with the support of her mother. She learnt Carnatic music under several teachers, including Manakkal Sivaraja Iyer and the eminent vocalist Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar. Simultaneously, she also trained in Hindustani classical music from Pandit Narayan Rao Vyas.
Music and stage career
Vasundhara's father didn't permit her to perform publicly on stage and confined her to exclusive private concerts. But, this didn't stop her music from gaining recognition, especially in the Mysore state. The then Yuvaraja of Mysore, Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar IV, organized a European trip in 1939 with a cultural delegation of about 78 Indian artistes and musicians, including Vasundhara. She attended the delegation with her husband, her mother, and her 6-year-old daughter, Vyjayanthimala.
