Who is Kalpana Iyer? Miss India 1978 goes viral at 69-years of age after dancing her iconic Rambha ho

Kalpana Iyer, the OG Ramba Ho girl, has dominated the Internet with her impromptu dance performance at a wedding. The veteran actress absolutely owned the stage as she effortlessly grooved to one of the most iconic dance tracks of the Bollywood disco era, sung by the legendary Usha Uthup.

This high-energy song from the 1981 film Armaan is a current favourite of GenZs and millennials alike, as Ranveer Singh's hit film Dhurandhar released its revamped version.

‘Very last minute’

Ever since the video of her dance performance went viral, Kalpana Iyer, in various interviews, shared that it was completely unplanned.

“I was at my friend's son's wedding, who is like my own child. The dance was impromptu,” she said, revealing that she was in Siliguri, West Bengal.

She shared that she was asked to dance by the groom's father and hence, could not say no. Kalapana shared that she wasn't even aware of which song would play until the very last minute — the song only began playing when she was walking towards the stage.

“I started walking towards the stage, and the dance just sort of happened. Nothing was prepared,” she said.

“Instinctively, you can see I am wearing a saree. It was a wedding, so I went to enjoy it with my family. And when they requested, how could I say no? I did it with love, and see where it all landed,” she added.

Within hours of posting the video, it was all over the internet. “I am so surprised and also so grateful to receive so much love. I am completely overwhelmed.”

Kalpana noted that she first performed the song more than 40 years ago, and "it makes it all the more special”.

‘Grateful to Aditya Dhar’

With Aditya Dhar eviving Kalpana's Ramba Ho, the veteran actress said that she was “emotional and so grateful” when her family and friends called to tell her “Your song is playing, and we are remembering you.”

Kalpana, who is yet to watch Dhurandhar, said she was grateful to Aditya Dhar for bringing back the song. “It's been so long. And if a film has revived it in such a way that the younger generation, the new generation, is humming the song, then for me, it's like... Thank you, God.”

“Who would have imagined that at the age of 70, my song in a film [will go viral again]? It's fabulous,” she added

‘I have missed my industry’

Talking to India Today, Kalpana expressed her wish to return to the film industry. “May God turn this around and make this work for me because I have missed my industry. I have missed the studio -- the smell of the studio. I have missed a lot of things, my industry,” she said. “This should be a good beginning, hopefully.”

Who is Kalpana Iyer?

Kalpana Iyer entered the film industry as a 12-year-old artist. In 1978, she rose to the limelight after being crowned as the first runner-up at Miss India.

The veteran actress has worked in several movies, including Satte Pe Satta, Anjaam, Raja Hindustani, and Hum Saath Saath Hain. Also a trained singer, Kalpana has collaborated with artists like Bappi Lahiri and Usha Uthup.