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]