M. V. Rajamma

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]

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

Making her debut as a lead actress in the 1936 released 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. 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

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

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

Selected filmography

YearFilmLanguage RoleNotes
1935Samsara NaukaKannada SaralaDebut as actor
1938YayathiTamil Devayani
1940Uthama PuthiranTamil Meenatchi
1941Gumasthavin PennTamil Seetha
1941Madana Kama RajanTamil Sathyavathi
1942AnanthasayanamTamil Susheela
1942Bhakta PrahladaKannada
1943Radha RamanaKannada
1946ArthanaariTamil Punyavathi
1946VijayalakshmiTamil Vijayalakshmi
1947Yogi VemanaTelugu
1948Gnana SoundariTamil Gnana Soundari
1948GokuladasiTamil Anuradha
1949VelaikariTamil Amritham
1950Laila MajnuTamil Layla
1950ParijathamTamil Rukmini
1950Raja VikramaTamil Kamini
1952Thai UllamTamil Nirmala
1952Penn ManamTamil Meenakshi
1952ZamindarTamil Allikulam
1953UlagamTamil Meena
1954KarkottaiTamil
1954Iddaru PellaluTelugu Radha
1955Modala ThediKannada
1955Shivasharane NambekkaKannada
1957Thangamalai RagasiyamTamil Kumutha
1957Rathnagiri RahasyaKannada
1957Manalane Mangayin BhagyamTamil
1958School MasterKannada Seetha
1958Engal Kudumbam PerisuTamil
1958Illarame NallaramTamil Malathi
1959Bhaaga PirivinaiTamil Meenakshi
1959Abba Aa HudugiKannada
1960Kuzhandaigal Kanda KudiyarasuTamil
1960Makkala RajyaKannada
1960KairaasiTamil
1961Kittur ChennammaKannada Rudrambe
1961Paava MannippuTamil Maragatham
1961Thayilla PillaiTamil Parvathi
1962Padithal Mattum PodhumaTamil Rao Bahadur's wife
1962Aadi PerukkuTamil Parvathi
1962Kudumba ThalaivanTamil Velamma
1962Thayi KaruluKannada
1962Deivathin DeivamTamil
1962Gaali GopuraKannada Shantha
1962Gaali MedaluKannada
1962Bandha PasamTamil Meenakshi
1962Paadha KaanikkaiTamil Parvathi
1963PanathottamTamil Thangamma
1963Dharmam Thalai KaakkumTamil Sadanandam's wife
1963Sathi ShakthiKannada
1963KunkhumamTamil
1964Chinnada GombeKannada Meenakshi
1964Pasamum NesamumTamil
1964Vazkai VazhvatharkeTamil
1964KarnanTamil Kunti Devi
1964Muradan MuthuTamil Maruthamuthu's wife
1965Thayin KarunaiTamil
1965Vaazhkai PadaguTamil
1966Enga PaapaTamil
1966Emme ThammannaKannada Kaveri
1966Dudde DoddappaKannada Sharada
1968AmmaKannada Seetha
1970Sri KrishnadevarayaKannada Kamala
1970Thedi Vandha MappillaiTamil Parvati Ammal
1971Thayi DevaruKannada Gowri
1971Malathi MadhavaKannada
1972Jaga Mecchida MagaKannada Kausalyadevi
1972Ondu Hennina KatheKannada
1972Badi PanthuluTelugu
1974Bangaarada PanjaraKannada Nanjamma
1974Sampathige SavaalKannada Parvathi
1975Daari Tappida MagaKannada Prakash and Prasad's mother
1975ThrimurthyKannada Savitri
1976BesugeKannada Nagu

References

  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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