Film actor Padmini is dead at 74

Chennai, Sept 25: One of the south Indian legendary Bharthanattiyam dancers and film actor Padmini died of a heart attack here late last night.

The legendary actress, who was among the first heroines to make it to Kollywood in the south, breathed her last at Apollo Hospital.

She was 74.

Padmini, who was the second of the famous 'Travancore Sisters' along with Lalitha and Ragini, made her last public appearance at a function organised by Kollywood on Saturday night to felicitate Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Padmini acted in more than 250 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada for decades since 1949.

Born in Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on June 12, 1932, Padmini made here debute in Hindi film 'Kalpana'. Her first Tamil film was 'Manamagal' (1950) made by another legend N S Krishnan.

Padmini paired with thespian the late Sivaji Ganeshan in many films and also with M G Ramachandran. Padmini made a name for herself in Hindi cinema by pairing with showman Raj Kapur in 'Jish Des Mein Ganga Behti Hai', 'Aashiq' and 'Mera Naam Joker'.

UNI