Vijaya Chamundeswari is an Indian fitness expert and daughter of the veteran South Indian actors Gemini Ganesan and Savitri. She is the sister of the famous Bollywood actress Rekha.
Contents
Wiki/Biography & Career
Vijaya Chamundeswari was born on 2 December 1959 (age 60 years; as in 2019) in Madras (now Chennai). Her zodiac sign is Saggitarius.
Vijaya Chamundeswari as a child with her mother
She went to Andhra Mahila Sabha, Kodaikanal’s Presentation Convent School, and Vidhyodaya High School in Chennai. She went to Ethiraj College of Women to pursue her graduation in English Literature. She is a fitness expert at GG Hospitals, Chennai.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Eye Colour: Black
Hair Colour: Black
Family, Caste & Husband
Her father, Gemini Ganesan was a famous Tamil actor. Her mother, Savitri was a famous Tamil and Telugu actress. Her father was a Tamil Brahmin from his father’s side and Isai Vellalar from his mother’s side. Vijaya’s mother belonged to a Telugu speaking Kapu Family.
Vijaya Chamundeswari’s Parents
She has a younger brother named Satish Ganesan.
Vijaya Chamundeswari with her Brother
Her father married four times, which was the reason for her to have many half-siblings. From her father’s marriage to Alamelu, she has four half-sisters named Dr Revathi Swaminathan (eldest; a radiation oncologist), Dr Kamala Selvaraj (second eldest; owner of GG Hospitals), Narayani Ganesan (third eldest; journalist with TOI), Dr Jaya Shreedhar (fourth eldest; health advisor with Inter News Network). From her father’s marriage to Pushpavalli (actress), she has two half-sisters named Rekha (actress) and Radha (former actress; lives in the USA).
Vijaya Chamundeswari with her sisters
Gemini Ganesan with his wife Alamelu
Gemini Ganesan with his wife Pushpavalli
Her father married for the fourth time to Juliana Andrews and have no children with her.
Gemini Ganesan with his wife Juliana Andrews
Vijaya is married to Govind Rao Vaddi.
Vijaya Chamundeswari with her husband
The couple has two sons Arun Kumar Vaddi (does theatre and dog breeding) and Abhinay Vaddi (actor).
Vijaya Chamundeswari with her sons
Vijaya also has a grandson named Ritwik and a grandaughter named Swastika.
Vijaya Chamundeswari with her husband and grandson
Vijaya Chamundeswari with her husband, son, and granddaughter
Favourite Things
- Author: Amish Tripathi
- Books: Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi
- Director: B.V. Nandini Reddy
- Travel Destination: Dubai
- Flower: Roses
Facts/Trivia
- She likes travelling, gardening, and farming.
- Her friends and close relatives call her Viji with love.
- Vijaya’s mother named her after a production house called ‘Vijaya Chaundeshwari,’ which had given her mother many memorable roles.
Vijaya Chamundeshwari with her mother
- Her mother was known as the ‘Meenakumari’ of the South Indian Film Industry.
- Vijaya was just 16 when she got married and a couple of years prior to her marriage, there were certain differences between her parents, and they got separated.
- Due to troubles in her mother’s personal life, her mother, Savitri took up to alcoholism, which affected her greatly. One day, she slipped into a coma for 19 months and eventually, she died at the age of 46 on 26 December 1981.
- In an Interview, Vijaya revealed that she had never watched any of her mother’s film, for the reason that her mother wept in most of them, and it made her uneasy. However, after her mother’s death, she started to watch her films.
- In May 2018, “Mahanati” was released, which is her mother’s biopic. Keerthy Suresh played the role of Savitri in the film.
- Following the release of the film, her sister, Dr Kamala Selvaraj, claimed that the film was fictionalised and was not honestly presented, and her father was wrongly presented in the film. She also alleged that the film was made wholly on the basis of Vijaya’s statement, and filmmakers should have taken her father’s friends and acquaintances in the industry into account before portraying his role. In response to her comments, Vijaya said that she respected her sister’s views; because they belonged to the same family.
Vijaya Chamundeshwari with her sister Kamala
- She likes animals very much and once owned a snake, that died in 2015.
Vijaya Chamundeshwari with her pet snake
She was the most beautiful girl in my school, in my opinion, just like her mother was the most beautiful and charismatic actor for millions of south Indians. I never thought that she would be anything other than an actor. I went to Vidyodaya school and studied in the same class, different section. I was also the neighbour to her mom and actor Ranga Rao on Habibullah Rd, T’Nagar, right next to their marriage hall, SGS Sabha. People would come every morning on so many buses from Tirupati to see the two actors and stop right opposite my house. But I had never seen them in person, and only these days I am even watching their movies because we were not allowed to go to movies in those days, so was never in the habit.