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M. V. Rajamma

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M. V. Rajamma
Rajamma in the 1940s
Born(1918-03-10)10 March 1918
Akandanahalli, Kingdom of Mysore
Died23 April 1999(1999-04-23) (aged 81)[1]
Chennai, India
NationalityIndian
Occupation(s)Actress, film producer, playback singer
Years active1934–1985
SpouseM. C. Veerappa
ParentSubbamma & Nanjappa

M. V. Rajamma (10 March 1918 – 23 April 1999) was an Indian actress, producer and playback singer of films mostly in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu languages from the 1930s through 1970s. She has the distinction of having acted as both heroine and mother to stalwart South Indian actors such as Dr. Rajkumar, Sivaji Ganesan, MGR and NTR.[2] Karnataka Government established M. V. Rajamma Award in her honor.[3]

Making her debut as a lead actress in the 1936 released Kannada movie Samsara Nauka, Rajamma enjoyed an elaborate career in feature films across South India. She was the first and foremost woman producer in South India and in Kannada films.[citation needed] She produced the film Radha Ramana in 1943 under her own home banner Vijaya Films.[4] Her entry to the Tamil films was through the 1940 classic hit film Uthama Puthiran. She went on to star in about 60 Kannada, 80 Tamil, 20 Telugu and one Hindi films in her career spanning around four decades.

Early life

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Rajamma was born in 1921 at Agandanahalli, a village in today's Bangalore Urban district, hitherto a part of Kingdom of Mysore. Her father Nanjappa, a merchant, was fond of stage and encouraged her to act. Rajamma joined the theatre group Chandrakala Nataka Mandali as a teenager and performed in plays alongside B. R. Panthulu, who she would go on to collaborate frequently on stage and in films.[5] She did her schooling at the Arya Balika school in Bangalore till the 8th grade. She later shifted base to Chennai for doing films.[6]

Career

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In the early 1930s, Rajamma was attracted to the stage theatre and entered the field at a time when male actors disguised themselves to play female characters. Rajamma enacted several inspiring roles in dramas such as Samsara Nauke, Gauthama Buddha and Subhadra. In 1935, when one of her stage plays Samsara Nauke was made into a film, she was cast again as the lead actress opposite to Panthulu. They went on to work together in many films for about 20 years. In 1940, she entered Tamil film industry in Chennai with the film Uthama Puthiran. From then on, she became one of the most sought after actresses across all the South Indian film industries. After her marriage, she concentrated mainly on playing motherly roles to the actors whom she had paired as a heroine earlier.

In 1943, Rajamma took her career to another level by producing the Kannada film Radha Ramana directed by Jyothish Sinha that featured herself opposite B. R. Panthulu in the lead. Acclaimed artists such as Balakrishna and G. V. Iyer were introduced through this film. It went on to perform well at the box-office which resulted in her second production venture Makkala Rajya (1960). Though the film was lauded by the critics, the box-office collections soared which made her back off from film production for a long while. However, she went on to star in many box-office blockbusters in both Kannada and Tamil film industries.

Some of the most popular Kannada films featuring Rajamma as a lead actress were Bhakta Prahalada (1942), Rathnagiri Rahasya (1957), School Master (1958), Abba Aa Hudugi (1959) among others.

Awards

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Selected filmography

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Year Film Language Role Notes
1935 Samsara Nauka Kannada Sarala Debut as actor
1938 Yayathi Tamil Devayani
1940 Uthama Puthiran Tamil Meenatchi
1941 Gumasthavin Penn Tamil Seetha
1941 Madana Kama Rajan Tamil Sathyavathi
1942 Ananthasayanam Tamil Susheela
1942 Bhakta Prahlada Kannada
1943 Radha Ramana Kannada
1946 Arthanaari Tamil Punyavathi
1946 Vijayalakshmi Tamil Vijayalakshmi
1947 Yogi Vemana Telugu
1948 Gnana Soundari Tamil Gnana Soundari
1948 Gokuladasi Tamil Anuradha
1949 Velaikari Tamil Amritham
1950 Laila Majnu Tamil Layla
1950 Parijatham Tamil Rukmini
1950 Raja Vikrama Tamil Kamini
1952 Thai Ullam Tamil Nirmala
1952 Penn Manam Tamil Meenakshi
1952 Zamindar Tamil Allikulam
1953 Ulagam Tamil Meena
1954 Karkottai Tamil
1954 Iddaru Pellalu Telugu Radha
1955 Modala Thedi Kannada
1955 Shivasharane Nambekka Kannada
1957 Thangamalai Ragasiyam Tamil Kumutha
1957 Rathnagiri Rahasya Kannada
1957 Manalane Mangayin Bhagyam Tamil
1958 School Master Kannada Seetha
1958 Engal Kudumbam Perisu Tamil
1958 Illarame Nallaram Tamil Malathi
1959 Bhaaga Pirivinai Tamil Meenakshi
1959 Abba Aa Hudugi Kannada
1960 Kuzhandaigal Kanda Kudiyarasu Tamil
1960 Makkala Rajya Kannada
1960 Kairaasi Tamil
1961 Kittur Chennamma Kannada Rudrambe
1961 Paava Mannippu Tamil Maragatham
1961 Thayilla Pillai Tamil Parvathi
1962 Padithal Mattum Podhuma Tamil Rao Bahadur's wife
1962 Aadi Perukku Tamil Parvathi
1962 Kudumba Thalaivan Tamil Velamma
1962 Thayi Karulu Kannada
1962 Deivathin Deivam Tamil
1962 Gaali Gopura Kannada Shantha
1962 Gaali Medalu Kannada
1962 Bandha Pasam Tamil Meenakshi
1962 Paadha Kaanikkai Tamil Parvathi
1963 Panathottam Tamil Thangamma
1963 Dharmam Thalai Kaakkum Tamil Sadanandam's wife
1963 Sathi Shakthi Kannada
1963 Kunkhumam Tamil
1964 Chinnada Gombe Kannada Meenakshi
1964 Pasamum Nesamum Tamil
1964 Vazkai Vazhvatharke Tamil
1964 Karnan Tamil Kunti Devi
1964 Muradan Muthu Tamil Maruthamuthu's wife
1965 Thayin Karunai Tamil
1965 Vaazhkai Padagu Tamil
1966 Enga Paapa Tamil
1966 Emme Thammanna Kannada Kaveri
1966 Dudde Doddappa Kannada Sharada
1968 Amma Kannada Seetha
1970 Sri Krishnadevaraya Kannada Kamala
1970 Thedi Vandha Mappillai Tamil Parvati Ammal
1971 Thayi Devaru Kannada Gowri
1971 Malathi Madhava Kannada
1972 Jaga Mecchida Maga Kannada Kausalyadevi
1972 Ondu Hennina Kathe Kannada
1972 Badi Panthulu Telugu
1974 Bangaarada Panjara Kannada Nanjamma
1974 Sampathige Savaal Kannada Parvathi
1975 Daari Tappida Maga Kannada Prakash and Prasad's mother
1975 Thrimurthy Kannada Savitri
1976 Besuge Kannada Nagu

References

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  1. ^ "Tribuneindia... Nation".
  2. ^ "M. V. Rajamma, the favorite 'Amma'". Kalyanamalai. Archived from the original on 17 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Annual film awards presented". 4 March 2017.
  4. ^ "Do you know the First Woman Producer of Kannada?". Reelbox.
  5. ^ Bhaktavatsala, M. (29 August 1999). "The two of a pair". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 7 June 2000. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  6. ^ "MV Rajamma article". Kannada Ratna. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
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