K. R. Chellam

Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli (born 1918), known professionally as K. R. Chellam, was an Indian actress who appeared in Tamil language films.^[1]

K. R. Chellam
Chellam (left) in Balayogini (1937)
Born	Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli 1918 Thanjavur
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1935–1960

Early life

Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli was born in 1918 to a middle-class Iyengar family in Thanjavur. She lost her mother at an early age, so her father Rangaswami, a lawyer, raised her along with her two siblings. Chellam, as she was informally known, dropped out of school early, and married a Bombay-based insurance salesman, later settling there with him. This marriage resulted in two daughters. After the family incurred financial losses due to the insurance salesman's mismanagement, they went to Madras almost penniless.^[2]

Career

Kanakavalli made her film debut with a minor role in Kausalya (1935) to support her family financially. As cinema was considered taboo in India at that time and she did not want her acquaintances to know she was in that profession, she chose her nickname Chellam as her stage name, though her family ultimately learned the truth. The film became a box office bomb and its production company closed, forcing Chellam to continue as an actress to stay afloat. With help from actress T. N. Meenakshi, she was cast in a bigger role in Madras Mail (1936). This film performed well and got Chellam noticed, resulting in her being cast in Balayogini (1937), also a success. Her next film Vanaraja Karzan (1938) received significant media attention because she wore a revealing outfit. Adrishtam (1939), in which she played a lawyer, established her as an actress of "high merit".^[2] Her last film was Pattaliyin Vetri (1960).^[3] As of September 1990, Chellam was living in Madras with one of her daughters being a doctor.^[2]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Ref.
1935	Kausalya		[2]
1936	Madras Mail		[2]
1937	Balayogini	Sarasa	[4]
1938	Vanaraja Karzan	Leela	[5]
1938	Desa Munnetram		[6]
1939	Adrishtam	Lawyer	[7]
1941	Surya Puthri	Thapathi	[8]
1942	En Manaivi	Chellam	[9]
1943	Karaikkal Ammaiyar		[10]
1944	Prabhavathi	Shakthi	[11]
1944	Poompavai	Ponnammal	[12]
1945	Meera	Udha	[13]
1946	Lavangi	Komalam	[14]
1947	Naam Iruvar	Ambujam	[15]
1947	Deiva Needhi		[16]
1948	Vedhala Ulagam	Mohanavalli	[17]
1948	Bhaktha Jana		[18]
1952	Thai Ullam	Santhamma	[19]
1953	Jatakam	Kannammal	[20]
1954	Rajee En Kanmani	Raji's aunt	[21]
1954	Vaira Maalai		[22]
1955	Kalvanin Kadhali		[23]
1956	Mathar Kula Manikkam
1957	Karpukkarasi	Singari	[24]
1959	Aval Yaar		[25]
1959	Orey Vazhi		[26]
1960	Pattaliyin Vetri
1960	Paavai Vilakku		[27]

References

1. "செல்லுலாய்ட் பெண்கள்" [Celluloid girls]. Dinakaran (in Tamil). 10 October 2018. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
2. Guy, Randor (1 September 1990). "K. R. Chellam: Sheer poverty drove her to acting". The Indian Express. p. 18.
3. மாதவன், பிரதீப் (15 December 2017). "நீர்க்குமிழி: குடும்பத்தைக் காப்பாற்ற திரை நடிப்பு! - கே.ஆர் செல்லம்". Hindu Tamil Thisai. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
4. Dhananjayan, G. (2014). Pride of Tamil Cinema: 1931 to 2013: Tamil Films that have earned National and International Recognition. Blue Ocean Publishers. p. 14.
5. Dhananjayan, G. (2011). The Best of Tamil Cinema. Vol. 1. Galatta Media. pp. 32–33.
6. Guy, Randor (17 December 2011). "Blast from the past: Desa Munnetram (1938)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
7. Guy, Randor (1 August 2008). "Adrishtam 1939". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
8. Guy, Randor (16 November 2013). "Suryaputhri (1941)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
9. En Manaivi [My Wife] (motion picture) (in Tamil). Pragathi Pictures. 1942. Opening credits, from 0:00 to 2:01.
10. Guy, Randor (21 December 2013). "Karaikkal Ammaiyar (1943)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
11. Prabhavathi (song book) (in Tamil). Krishnan Pictures. 1944.
12. Poompavai (song book) (in Tamil). Mount Road, Madras: Rangam Bros. 1944. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
13. Meera (motion picture) (in Tamil). Chandraprabha Cinetone. 1945. Opening credits, from 0:15 to 0:32.
14. லவங்கி (song book) (in Tamil). Sri Jagadish Films. 1946.
15. Meiyappan, A. V. (1947). Nam Iruvar (motion picture) (in Tamil). A.V.M Productions. Opening credits, from 0:50 to 2:24.
16. Guy, Randor (11 December 2010). "Deiva Neethi 1947". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
17. வேதாள உலகம் (song book) (in Tamil). AVM Productions. 1948.
18. Guy, Randor (28 August 2010). "Bhaktha Jana 1948". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
19. தாய் உள்ளம் (song book) (in Tamil). Narayanan & Company. 1952.
20. ஜாதகம் (song book) (in Tamil). R. N. R. Pictures. 1953.
21. ராஜி என் கண்மணி [Rajee, My Darling] (songbook) (in Tamil). Gemini Studios.
22. Guy, Randor (24 December 2011). "Blast from the past – Vaira Maalai 1954". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
23. Guy, Randor (22 November 2008). "Kalvanin Kadhali 1954". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
24. கற்புக்கரசி (song book) (in Tamil). Jupiter Pictures. 1957.
25. Guy, Randor (21 June 2014). "Aval Yaar (1957)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
26. Guy, Randor (23 August 2014). "Orey Vazhi 1959". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
27. Guy, Randor (25 October 2014). "Blast from the past: Paavai Vilakku 1960". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2020.

External links

• K. R. Chellam at IMDb