T. R. Rajakumari

Thanjavur Radhakrishnan Rajayee (5 May 1922 – 20 September 1999), better known by her screen name T. R. Rajakumari, was an Indian actress, Carnatic singer and dancer. She has been called the first "dreamy girl" of Tamil cinema.^[1][2][3]

T. R. Rajakumari
T. R. Rajakumari in Sivakavi (1943).
Born	Thanjavur Radhakrishnan Rajayee 5 May 1922 Thanjavur, Madras Presidency, British India
Died	20 September 1999 (age 77) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Years active	1936–1963
Parent(s)	Father: Radhakrishnan Mother: Ranganayaki
Family	T. S. Damayanthi (Sister), T. D. Kusalakumari (niece), T. R. Ramanna (brother)

Film career

Rajayee made her film debut in Kumara Kulothungan, which was produced in 1938–39 but was released in 1941 after Kacha Devayani. In the initial ads, her name appeared as T. R. Rajayee, but later in the film, she was credited as T. R. Rajalakshmi. Her second film, Mandharavathi, directed by D.S. Marconi, was also released in 1941.^[4] Kacha Devayani (1941) was a hit and helped launch her career in movies. There is some confusion about which film she actually made her debut in, as the director of Kacha Devayani' K. Subramaniam, later insisted that he was the one who introduced her to films.^[5][6] In 1944, Rajakumari starred in the record-breaking film Haridas alongside M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and gained recognition for her glamorous portrayal.^[7]

In her Tamil film career, Rajakumari acted as the female lead opposite many major film stars, including Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, T. R. Mahalingam, K. R. Ramasamy, P. U. Chinnappa, M. G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan. She also started a film production company (with her brother T. R. Ramanna) called "R. R. Pictures" and produced films like Vaazhapirandhavan (1953), Koondukkili (1954), Gul-E-Bagaavali (1955), Paasam (1962), Periya Idathu Penn (1963), Panam Padaithavan (1965) and Parakkum Paavai (1966). Her last film as an actress was Vanambadi (1963).^[1][8]

Later life and death

Rajakumari died on 20 September 1999 after a prolonged illness.^[9]

Partial filmography

Year	Title	Language	Role	Notes
1935	Karwan-E-Hayat	Hindi	Princess of Vijaypore
		Urdu
1936	Devdas	Hindi	Chandramukhi
1939	Kumara Kulothungan	Tamil	Buvaneswari
1941	Kacha Devayani		Devayani
	Mandharavathi
	Surya Puthri		Queen Sulochana
1942	Sathi Sukanya
	Manonmani		Manonmani
1943	Sivakavi		Vanji
	Kubera Kuchela		Mallika
1944	Haridas		Ramba (Dasi)
	Prabhavathi		Mayavathi
1945	Saalivaahanan		Chandralekha
1946	Valmiki
	Vikatayogi
1947	Pankajavalli
1948	Brahma Rishi Vishwamitra		Menaka
	Chandralekha		Chandralekha
		Hindi
1949	Krishna Bakthi	Tamil	Devakumari
	Pavalakkodi		Pavalakkodi
1950	Ithaya Geetham		Thara
	Vijayakumari
1951	Vanasundari		Vanasundari
1952	Amarakavi		Padmini	Bilingual film
	Amarakavi	Telugu
1953	Anbu	Tamil	Thangam
	En Veedu
	Na Illu	Telugu
	Panakkaari	Tamil
	Vazha Pirandhaval
1954	Manohara	Hindi	Vasanthasena	Trilingual film
	Manohara	Tamil	Vasanthasenai
	Manohara	Telugu	Vasanthasena
1955	Gulebagavali	Tamil	Princess Lakbesha
	Rajkumari	Hindi
1957	Pudhumai Pithan	Tamil	Inbavalli
	Thangamalai Ragasiyam		Nandhini
	Rathnagiri Rahasyam	Telugu
1957	Veera Khadgamu		Inbavalli
1959	Thanga Padhumai	Tamil	Maya Mohini
1961	Kanyaka Parameswari Mahatmyam	Telugu
1962	Paasam	Tamil	Shantha
1963	Vanambadi		Parvathi
	Periya Idathu Penn		Gangamma

Discography

Year	Film	Language	Song	Co-singers	Music Director
1941	Kacha Devayani	Tamil	Parkka Parkka Thikattuvathumillai		Vidwan V. S. Parthasarathy Iyengar
			Bhoomiyinezhil Pukalavu Medharama	Kothamangalam Seenu & Kothamangalam Subbu
			Premaiye Jagam	Kothamangalam Seenu
			Irunda Vazhvil Kuthuhalam
			Narumana Mikumalare Unadhu
			Sarasam Seiyave Vanthanai	Kothamangalam Seenu
			Parama Kripanidhe
			Anbariya Aadavar Irumbu	Kothamangalam Seenu
			Avanaiyiladavar Ullame Vairamadho	Kothamangalam Seenu
1943	Kubera Kuchela		Ennai Vittu Engey Sentreer		Kunnakudi Venkatarama Iyer & S. V. Venkatraman
1944	Prabhavathi		Varuvare Varuvare
			Engum Eppozhutham Vilaiyatta	C. Honnappa Bhagavathar & K. Mahadevan Iyer
			Ododi Vasantham Poovodu Sambandam	C. Honnappa Bhagavathar
			Gomatha Neeye Adharame Shri Gomatha
			Marumalithai Soodumthirumal Magan Enge
1947	Pankajavalli		Dheivamum Mandhira Vaal		Papanasam Sivan
			Devinin Vadivazhagai
	Chandralekha		Indrae Enathu Kuthukalam		S. Rajeswara Rao
			Manamohana Saaranae
			Aaduven Mayilaayi Naan	Mayavaram Venu
			Vaanamengume Nirainthu
1949	Krishna Bhakthi		Enna Vazhvu		S. V. Venkatraman & Kunnakudi Venkatarama Iyer
1950	Ithaya Geetham		Vaanulaavum Tharai Nee En Ithaya Geethame	T. R. Mahalingam	S. V. Venkatraman
			Odi Vaa Venmugil Poley
1950	Vijayakumari		Katchi Yaavaiyum	K. R. Ramasamy & A. L. Raghavan	C. R. Subburaman & C. S. Jayaraman
			Pozhuthu Vidinthaal
1948	Vanasundari		Kannile Vilaiyaadum Inba Kaadhal	P. U. Chinnappa	S. V. Venkataraman & C. R. Subburaman
			Mannan Pennaaga Naanum Mann Meedhu
			Namasthe Namasthe	P. U. Chinnappa
1952	Amarakavi		Pasiyaale Nondhene		G. Ramanathan & T. A. Kalyanam
			Thoondi Mullu Pole...Paarunga Thinnu
1953	Anbu		Anbe Dheiveegam.... Anbaale Ulagil		T. R. Pappa
			Kappadhu Un Paramamma
			Manadhu Magizhave Manamum
1953	Vazha Pirandhaval		Chandiranai Polirukkumaa		G. Ramanathan & S. Rajeswara Rao
			Vaazha Pirandhaval Naan	T. A. Mothi & P. Leela
1954	Manohara		Pozhudhu Pularndhadhe		S. V. Venkatraman & T. R. Ramanathan

References

1. Guy, Randor (17 November 1990). "T. R. Rajakumari: 'The dream girl' with many-sided talent". The Indian Express. p. 18.
2. "தமிழ்ப்பட உலகின் முதல் கனவுக்கன்னி டி.ஆர்.ராஜகுமாரி" [T. R. Rajakumari, the first dream girl of Tamil cinema]. Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 2 August 2009. Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
3. "A Legend in her time - the Hindu". www.cscsarchive.org:80. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
4. Guy, Randor (22 March 2014). "Kumara Kulothungan (1941)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
5. Narayanan, Aranthai (2009). Aramba Kaala Tamil cinema (1931–1941). Vijaya Publications. p. 107.
6. Randor Guy (23 October 2009). "Blast from the Past: Katcha Devayani 1941". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
7. Guy, Randor (11 July 2008). "Blast From the Past : Haridas 1944". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 14 July 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
8. ""கனவுக்கன்னி" டி.ஆர்.ராஜகுமாரி 5 சூப்பர் ஸ்டார்களுடன் நடித்தார்". Maalai Malar. 4 August 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2010.
9. "Actress Rajkumari dies at 79". The Indian Express. 21 September 1999. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2016.

External links

• T. R. Rajakumari at IMDb