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Multitalented María Elena Velasco stands as Mexico's foremost comedienne. She created and portrayed La India María, a hilarious and endearing indigenous woman, who became the most successful female movie character in Mexican cinema history; her comedies set box office records and remain beloved. Beyond film, she had her own comic book, recorded albums, and starred in both a stage show and a sitcom.
María Elena Velasco Fragoso was born in Puebla, Mexico. Her family relocated to Mexico City seeking medical treatment for her seriously ill father. After her husband's death, Velasco chose to remain in the capital. She and her younger sister, Susy Velasco, eventually entered the entertainment industry.
The striking and curvaceous María Elena began as a dancer in variety shows before transitioning to stage acting, often playing serious roles alongside comedians Fernando Soto "Mantequilla," Adalberto Martínez "Resortes," Manuel Medel, and José Jasso. Around this time, she married actor Julián de Meriche and appeared in minor film roles in México de mis recuerdos (1963), Los derechos de los hijos (1963), and El revólver sangriento (1964).
La India María, the character that launched her to stardom, was inspired by indigenous fruit vendors on San Juan de Letrán Avenue in central Mexico City. Her comedy sketch based on these women became a hit at Teatro Blanquita and successfully transitioned to television. Frequent appearances on shows like Domingos espectaculares (1969) and Siempre en Domingo (1969) paved the way for her film career.
Fernando de Fuentes hijo produced her first major hit, Tonta tonta, pero no tanto (1972). Velasco returned to television as the star and host of Revista musical Nescafé (1959). La India María continued to dominate the box office with roles such as a healing water vendor in Pobre, pero honrada! (1973), a mischievous nun in La madrecita (1974), a small-town mayor in La presidenta municipal (1975), and the guardian of a wealthy Shih Tzu in El miedo no anda en burro (1976).
La India María frequently finds herself in absurd scenarios: piloting a helicopter in Sor Tequila (1977), acting as a good luck charm in Hard but Sure (1978), and posing as a wealthy socialite in The Little Midwife (1978). Her character traveled to the US for the first time in Okey, Mister Pancho (1981). She earned Mexico’s equivalent of a Golden Globe for her role in He Who Doesn't Run, Flies! (1982), her final film with Fuentes.
In the early 1980s, Velasco signed with Antonio Matouk, who granted her greater artistic freedom and produced The Feathered Coyote (1983) and Neither Chana, Neither Juana (1985), the first India María films she directed. Her son, Iván Lipkies, produced her first independent feature, Neither of Here, Neither of There (1988). Six years later, she achieved theatrical success reprising India María in the stage comedy México canta y aguanta (1994), earning the Mexican Theatre Critics Association’s Celia Montalván Award.
After a lengthy absence from television—following a blacklist due to jokes about the extravagant vacations of Mexican presidents—La India María returned with her own sitcom, ¡Ay María qué puntería! (1998), and multiple guest spots. She wrote the screenplay for her penultimate comedy, Las delicias del poder (1999), a political satire featuring her as twin sisters. The film was directed by her son and produced by her daughter, Ivette 'Goretti' Lipkies.
Las delicias del poder was so successful that María Elena planned another India María film, though the project was eventually delayed. Meanwhile, the Lipkies-Velasco family adapted Shakespeare’s Othello as Huapango (2004). Iván directed, while María Elena and Ivette (credited as Ivette 'Goretti' Lipkies) played supporting roles. The trio won an Ariel Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
La India María made her long-awaited return in the adventure fantasy La hija de Moctezuma (2014). Eduardo Manzano, another legendary Mexican comedian, played her grandfather; together, they performed the movie’s theme song, which she also penned. Sadly, María Elena passed away several months after the premiere, making this her final work.
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