Black & White Actress...

Actress Jayalalitha

 

Actress Saradha

 

Actress Lakshmi
Lakshmi was married three times. Her first marriage was to Baskar, which was arranged by her parents when she was seventeen. Her only biological child, Aishwarya, was born in 1971. Her marriage ended in divorce, and she gained custody of her daughter, who later became an actress in the 1990s, carrying on the family tradition. Lakshmi fell in love with her _Chattakkari (1974)_ leading man Mohan, but that relationship ended. While she was shooting En Uyir Kannamma (1988), she and actor-director K.S. Sivachandran fell in love and got married. She adopted a baby girl in 2001. Her daughter Aishwarya gave birth to a baby girl in the mid 1990s, making Lakshmi into a real-life grandmother.

 

actress shoba
The story of Shobha (1961-1980) is a saga of astounding professional success overshadowed by overwhelming personal insecurity and anguish. Shobha, whose real name was Mahalakshmi, was the daughter of actress Prema. Prema had acted in few Malayalam movies in the 60s, but could never make it to the top league. Her own failures had made Prema determined to make her daughter Mahalakshmi succeed where she had failed. Mahalakshmi went to work early; she acted as a child artiste in a few Malayalam and Tamil movies. Noteworthy among her Tamil movies as a child artiste was Chandrababu’s ‘thattungaL thirakkappadum’ (1966/Vishwabharathi) wherein Baby Mahalakshmi’s performance as the child Lakshmi won widespread praise, perhaps an initial indication of the greater laurels to come. And in Malayalam, Mahalakshmi, renamed as Baby Shobha stole the show in ‘udyOgasta’ (1967/Geetanjali) amidst the presence of veterans like Satyan, Prem Nazeer, Madhu, Sharada and Sukumari. She went on to act in few more Malayalam movies as a child artiste, before making her debut in an adult role in Balachandra Menon’s ‘utradaraatri’ (1978/Nangaserry Films).

In a brief period (1978-1980), Shobha made a fetching mark in all the four southern languages, covering herself with glory by winning the coveted ‘urvashi’ award when she was just 19 years old. Shobha was a natural performer and essayed her roles with realistic simplicity. She exploded the myth that only arrestingly beautiful faces could make it big in films. She had an inexplicable charm, and a personality that exuded distinct elegance and charismatic innocence. A miraculous coalescence of endearing vulnerability and immense inner strength, Shobha graced the portals of South Indian cinema like none other. And in that incredible short span of time, she managed to walk away with the honours in exciting projects of exacting filmmakers; both venerable veterans of the craft and young torchbearers of experimental cinema found to their delight that this dusky petite woman’s shy smile was a facade that secreted an intense, smouldering persona, a powerhouse of unbridled talent blessed with an individualistic stamp of expression…

Shobha’s Malayalam movies include Ekakini (1978), ulkatal (1978), Ormakal marikkiumO (1978), bandhanam (1978), entE neelaakaasam (1979), ‘daliya pookaL’ (1980) and ‘shalini entE koottukkaari’ (1980). Shobha won the Kerala Government’s Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in K.S.Sethumadhavan’s ‘Ormakal marikkumO’ and the Best Actress Award the next year for her essay in Thoppil Bhasi’s ‘entE neelaakaasam’. In her short tryst with Malayalam cinema, Shobha earned the approbation of great masters like M.T.Vasudevan Nair, K.G.George and Sethumadhavan.

The Kannada populace had a glimpse of her extraordinary screen presence in Balumahendra’s ‘kOkila’ (1977), while Singitam Srinivasa Rao and Bapu harnessed Shobha’s histrionic voltage in the Telugu movies ‘tharam maarindi’ (1977) and ‘manavoori pandavalu’ (1978) respectively.
Perceiving a rare spark in the upcoming actress, K. Balachandar cast Shobha in the pivotal role in ‘nizhal nijamaagiRathu’ (1978), his Tamil remake of ‘chilakkama cheppindhi’. But the delayed release of the movie saw Karaikkudi Narayanan’s ‘achchaaNI’ (1978) marking Shobha’s debut in Tamil. Balachandar was followed by Mahendran, who made Shobha a household name all over Tamilnadu with his trail blazing ‘muLLum malarum’ (1978). The Tamil movies that Shobha acted subsequently were oru veedu oru ulagam (1978), agal viLakku, chakkaLathi, oru vidukathai oru thodarkathai, azhiyadha kOlangaL, yENippadigaL, veettukku veedu vaasappadi, pasi-all 1979, moodupani, vEli thaaNdiya veLLaadu, ponnagaram and saamandhippoo- all 1980, and anbuLLa aththaan (1981).

The euphoric celebrations over Shobha winning the coveted National Award for her heartrending portrayal of a rag picker in ‘pasi’ had barely commenced when there came the horrifying news of Shobha’s suicide. Her fragile relationship with Balumahendra had developed irreparable fissures and not being able to cope with the emotional trauma, Shobha is said to have taken the extreme step…

There was a public hue and cry over her death; investigations were ordered with righteous promptness. The air was rife with suggestions of foul play.. In an insightful analysis on celebrities, their insecurity and vulnerability, consultant psychiatrist Dr. Suresh Kumar sums up thus “Often, the victims do not make clear assessments based on proper judgments. The partner might have entered the relationship with entirely different motives. When reality hits the victim, a crisis brews. This sets off memories of an unhappy childhood that is always associated with rejection, abuse, despair and fear of abandonment.” (The Hindu)… Balu Mahendra wrote a sentimental series of musings in Kumdudam titled ‘shObhavum naanum’. K.G.George made a movie that was largely a biography of Shobha- lEkhayudE maraNam-oru flashback (1983) starring Nalini and Gopi told the sordid story with stark reality. However, no investigations or analysis would bring back Shobha…

Source : Internet

 

ripriya is one of the best known names in south Indian film industry. Over the past three and a half decades, she has acted in over 300 films, some of them big box office hits.

She is now a member of the panel that will select films for the State awards.

Sripriya looks back on her long career and her foray into television.

I studied at the Church Park convent in Chennai and I studied Hindi and Sanskrit. I did not know much Tamil, especially the script. But I was quick to learn Tamil. I consider it an achievement.

My inspiration to learn Tamil came from many persons, such as Vaalee and Kamal Haasan.

The actor has not studied much but he writes poetry. So I thought when Kamal Haasan could do it why not I? I have read a lot of Kannadasan's songs also.

But Vaalee's poems and songs made learning thelanguage easier. Then comes Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi who can hold an audience spellbound for hours.

I first faced the camera on November 19, 1973 for the film "Murugan Kaattiya Vazhi" directed by P. Madhavan. My first shot went off smoothly. The director and a few people who saw the rushes were happy.

One among them was actor Sivakumar, who said I would turn to be a big actor.

All my knowledge revolves around cinema. If I had more money, I would produce films. I am not qualified to do anything more.

From 1973, I have done more than 300 films in all the four South Indian languages, including 200 in Tamil.

I prefer movies that entertain. I do not want to sit and cry before a screen. All my movies provide entertainment.

My favourite films are "Murugan Kaattiya Vazhi", "Aval Oru Thodar Kathai", "Attukkara Alamelu" and "Neeya", "Aval Appadithan", an offbeat film and `Vasanthathil oru Naal' with Sivaji Ganesan.

My all time favourite actor is Ranga Rao. He would fit into any role with consummate ease. Till now, nobody can imitate or mimic his looks or acting or diction.

Among women, Manorama has done all kinds of roles. As a trendsetter I can name Saroja Devi and among contemporaries Radhika.

I did not include Sivaji and MGR in this list as they are great.

 

Actress Manjula..

Vanitha Vijakumar praising Manjula..

Vanitha during the recent press conference declaring,“I am forced to reveal family secrets, because they maligned me. My father started getting poisoned by my own family members who did not like me as I am a strong woman fighting against odds of my life on my own and also finding a lovable husband, despite a bad marriage previously,” she adds,

“I moved out my family at the age of 16 unable to bear the immense torture from my father and mother. They forced me to indulge in distressful activities.”

“My mother Manjula was made drunkard by my father to get hold of her property and now all the properties have been registered in the names of Muthukannu(Vijayakumar’s first wife) and actor Arun Vijay.”.

Recalling another incident, she said, “We moved on to US few years back when my father had no movie chances to act with. Initially my mother had moved to US and had made an illegal relationship with a doctor there for luxurious life. During that time Santha Kumar, brother of our former production manager who had been in love with my step sister Kavitha (Arun Vijay’s sister) had allegedly committed suicide by setting his house on fire. But the fact is my father converted the incident of killing into a case of suicide because they were indulging Kavitha in sexual activities. Ask Vijayakumar, he cannot deny the fact. “

While daughter Vanitha hurling fresh charges at him, the actors Vijayakumar and Manjula rubbishing them, at another press conference in the city.

“She is not my daughter anymore, she would feel the parent’s pain only when her children grow up. I am not sure why she is behaving like this. something has happened to her”, yelled angry vijayakumar.

He also defended his son Arun Vijay. “Vanitha claimed that Arun Vijay and a set of goons had threatened her against lodging any complaint. However, Arun was on a flight to America at that time,” he said.

Manjula while rubbishing the charges said, “Vanitha will get severe punishment from God as she accused about my husband, my son Arun Vijay and my son-in-law Hari who are innocents”.

 

Queen of Make up Kannadathu Painkili Saroja devi

 

Natthiya Peroli Padmini

 

actress vaijanti mala

 

actress bhanumathi