Actor, danseuse Padmini brought grace and drama to celluloid

Chennai, Sep 25 (UNI) Padmini was among the few artistes who had imparted a sense of grace and drama to her portrayal of a variety of characters during an acting career spanning several decades.

Still occupying a place in the hearts of film goers, especially down South, the 74 year- old versatile artistes death last night came as a rude shock plunging the South Indian film industry into grief.

Only the previous evening she had attended the felicitation function for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Padmini had been seen exchanging pleasantaries with Mr Karunanidhi, who enquired ''Nalandana''? (''Are you allright?),taking after a hit song from one of her many box office hits ''Thillana Mohanambal''.

But midway through the function, Padmini collapsed and was rushed to Apollo hospital.

Known for her Bharatanatyam skills of the highest order, Padmini had acted in more than 250 films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam,Kannada and Hindi in her long and distinguished career. She paired with prominent matinee idols, Sivaji Ganesan, MGR, Prem Nazir, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand.

However, her pairing with late Sivaji Ganesan turned out to be perfect with both sharing great on screen chemistry, leading to innumerable hits.

Padmini was also among the first of the heroines from the South who made it to Bollywood, beginning her career with 'Kalpana' at the age of 17 before starring in her first Tamil film ''Manamagal' in 1950 with another legend N S Krishnan.

Born in Poojapura in Thiruvananthapuram on June 12, 1932, Padmini was the second daughter of a landlord, Thankappan pillai and Saraswathi Amma. With her sisters Ragini and Lalitha, she formed the famous trio, ''Travancore Sisters''. Padmini was the most successful of the trio in the artistic pursuits of dancing and acting, which the three were known for.

Padmini began learning classical dance at the tender age of four.

Guru Gopinath and later T M Mahalingam Pillai were her teachers and she devoted her entire time and energy for pefecting her skill.

After 'Kalpana' and 'Manamagal', for which Mr Karunanidhi, who had also started his career in Kollywood wrote the dialogues, Padmini evolved into a versatile actor. In several films, she appeared for dance numbers. They include movies like 'Vedhala Ulagam' (1949), 'Seetha Kalyanam', 'Velaikkari', 'Vinodhini' and 'Pavalakodi' (1950) among others.

She made her bow as a character actress in 'Ezhai Padum Padu' (1950).

Then began Padmini's popular pairing with the late thespian Svaji Ganesan in 1951 with the film 'Panam' . There was no looking back for her thereafter. Her films with MGR included 'Madurai Veeran' 'Rani Samyukhtha', 'Mannadhi Mannan' and 'Rickshawkaran' which featured her in a character role.

However, Padmini attained a special fame in Indian cinema when the showman late Raj Kapoor picked her as his leading lady in 'Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai' and 'Aashiq' in which she was one of the heroines with Nanda, in the 60s and later on in 'Mera Naam Joker'.

Padmini went on to give commandable performances in a few other Hindi hits including 'Chanda Aur Bijli' with another great actor Sanjiv Kumar, 'Vaasna' and 'Kaajal' with late Raajkumar. Earlier, she also paired with Dev Anand in 'Amar Deep' produced by Sivaji Ganesan's production company.

After her marriage to Dr K T Ramachandran in 1961, Padmini settled down in United States where she started the Padmini School of Fine Arts. She lost her husband, at a young age of 48 in the year 1981. Their only son Premanand is an official with the Warner Brothers. Padmini won the 'Kalaimamani' award from Tamil Nadu government in 1958. She also won the best classical dancer award at Moscow Youth Festival in 1957.

In 1985, she received the Filmfare Award for her performance in a character role in 'Poovae Poo Chudava' where she played the heroine's grandmother. The erstwhile Soviet Union released a postal stamp in her honour.

A regular performer at various 'sabhas' including the prestigious Music Academy in the traditional December music and dance season in Chennai, Padmini also performed in Shanmukhananda Sabha, Indian Fine Arts Society, 'Tamil Sangam' and in a rare honour at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan in New Delhi.

Padmini also gave Bharatanatyam performances in front of Queen Elizabeth, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, President Rajendra Prasad, President S Radhakrishnan, Lady Mountbatten and Prime Minister Bulganin of Russia.

UNI