New Delhi. In the entertainment industry, apart from talent, the appearance of the actor also matters. Swapna Sundari is the name of one such actress. Fans were crazy about her sharp features.
In the 40s, there was an actress in the Tamil cinema industry who was talented and whose beauty was such that anyone who saw her would be mesmerized. She was credited in films under the name Rajkumari. One of her films created a sensation in that era. ‘Haridas’ ran for 114 weeks in Madras (Chennai) theatres.
The actress’ full name was Thanjavur Ranganayaki Rajayi and she was also known as TR Rajkumari. Apart from being a film actress, she was also an excellent singer and dancer. Due to her talent, she was called the first “dream girl” of Tamil cinema. She established herself as a successful actress in the Tamil film industry.
Born on 5 May 1922 in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, Rajkumari belonged to a family of musicians, both her mother and grandmother were musicians and she too wanted to become a singer. That is why she took training in Carnatic music. It was from here that she decided to enter the film industry. Her first film was “Kummala Kulathungan”, which was released in the year 1939, initially her name Rajayi was used in films. This film did not get success but her second film Kachcha Devayani proved to be a hit. After this she got recognition as ‘TR Rajkumari’.
Her luck shone in the year 1944, when her film Haridas broke all records of earning. In this film, MK Thyagaraja Bhagavathar was in the lead role with her. The pairing of both was liked, and Rajkumari got the title of the first “Dream Girl” of Tamil cinema. With this film, she started being counted as a successful actress in the Tamil industry.
In his film career, he worked with famous actors like T.R. Mahalingam, K.R.R. Ramaswamy, P.U. Chinnappa, M.G. Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesh. He also started a production house with his brother. During this time, he produced films like Vazhpirandhavan, Kondukkili, Gul-e-Bagavalli, Paasam, Periya Idathu Penn, Panam Paddithavan and Parakkum Paavai.
Her last film as an actress was Vaanampadi, which came in 1963. Rajkumari died on 20 September 1999.
Image Credit: Khas-khabar.