Kusalakumari

Thanjavur Damayanthi Kusalakumari (6 December 1937 - 7 March 2019) was an Indian actress and dancer. She featured in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam language films. ^[1]

Early life

Born in Thanjavur, Kusalakumari is a niece of T. R. Rajakumari. Her birth name is Kusalambal. Being born in an artistes family, she began learning Bharata Natyam at the age of 3. When she was 5 years old, the family moved to Chennai. She used to go to film shooting with her aunt T. R. Rajakumari.

Film career

Kusalakumari began her film career as a child artiste. Though she has danced in films before, she got a character role in Avvaiyar as the child Avvaiyar. Her major role as the poor woman falling in love with Sivaji Ganesan, was in Koondukili , the only film Sivaji Ganesan and M. G. Ramachandran featured together. Later she acted as the younger sister of Sivaji Ganesan in Kalvanin Kadhali , and then as the younger sister of K. R. Ramasamy in Needhipathi .

The competition dance with Kumari Kamala in Konjum Salangai brought fame to her as a dancer.

She began her film career in Telugu with Raju Peda as a dancer. The film featured N. T. Rama Rao in the main role and was a success. After that, she starred in many Telugu films both as dancer and in character roles.

She was paired with Prem Nazir in Malayalam-language film Seeta in the title role. The film ran for more than 200 days. Another Malayalam film Mariakutty won the President's award. ^[2]

Awards

• Kalaimamani
• Kalai Chelvam

Later life

Kusalakumari did not marry. She lived with her brother T. D. Sekar in Chennai. The then Chief minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa learned of Kusalakumari's financial difficulties and sanctioned a monthly allowance of Rs.5000.^{[ citation needed ]}

Death

Kusalakumari died of old age (83) on 7 March 2019 in Chennai. ^[1]

Filmography

Year	Film name	Language	Role
1944	Mahamaya	Tamil	Child Bala Credited as Baby Kusalambal
1949	Krishna Bakthi	Tamil	Child dancer
1950	Laila Majnu	Tamil	Young Laila
1951	Manamagal	Tamil
1951	Pelli Koothuru	Telugu
1952	Parasakthi	Tamil	Dancer
1953	Ammalakkalu	Telugu	Dancer
1953	Avvaiyar	Tamil	Child Awvaiyar
1953	Marumagal	Tamil	Dancer
1954	Koondukkili	Tamil	Sokki
1954	Bedara Kannappa	Kannada
1954	Nanban	Tamil
1954	Pona Machaan Thirumbi Vandhan	Tamil	Chandra
1954	Raju Peda	Telugu	Dancer
1954	Ratha Kanneer	Tamil	Dancer
1955	Jayasimha	Telugu	Dancer
1955	Donga Ramudu	Telugu	Dancer
1955	Jayasimman	Tamil	Dancer
1955	Kalvanin Kadhali	Tamil	Abirami
1955	Menaka	Tamil	Dancer
1955	Kaveri	Tamil	Dancer
1955	Needhipathi	Tamil
1956	Ilavelpu	Telugu	Singari
1956	Kudumba Vilakku	Tamil	Dancer
1957	Aandi Petra Selvan	Tamil	Dancer
1957	Parasakthi	Telugu	Dancer
1957	Samaya Sanjeevi	Tamil
1957	Sati Anasuya	Telugu	Rati
1958	Mangalya Bhagyam	Tamil
1958	Mariakutty	Malayalam	Betty
1959	Kaveriyin Kanavan	Tamil	Dancer
1959	Mahishasura Mardini	Kannada
1959	Nalla Theerpu	Tamil
1959	Raja Sevai	Tamil
1959	Rechukka Pagatichukka	Telugu
1960	Mahakavi Kalidasu	Telugu	Dancer
1960	Bhatti Vikramarka	Telugu	Dancer
1960	Desingu Raja Katha	Telugu	Dancer
1960	Pathivratha	Telugu	Dancer
1960	Patti Vikramathithan	Tamil	Dancer
1960	Raja Desingu	Tamil	Dancer
1960	Rathinapuri Ilavarasi	Tamil
1960	Seeta	Malayalam	Sita
1961	Bhakta Kuchela	Malayalam
1961	Bharya Bharthalu	Telugu
1961	Ennai Paar	Tamil
1961	Sita Rama Kalyanam	Telugu	Rambha
1962	Konjum Salangai	Tamil	Kamavalli
1962	Mahathma Kabir	Kannada
1964	Ramudu Bheemudu	Telugu	Dancer
1964	Rishyasringar	Tamil
1964	Oral Koodi Kallanayi	Malayalam
1964	Sree Guruvayoorappan	Malayalam
1968	Harichandra	Tamil	Dancer
1976	Manmadha Leelai	Tamil	Rekha's mother
1977	Nandha En Nila	Tamil

References

1. Kusari, Kareena (8 March 2019). "Koondukili's Tamil Actress Kusalakumari Departs This Life On Wednesday At Age Of 83". Starbiz. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
2. R. C. Jayanthan (11 March 2016). "மறக்கப்பட்ட நடிகர்கள் 3: தென்னகம் கொண்டாடிய திறமை! - குசலகுமாரி". The Hindu (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2019.