Padmapriya


Padmapriya was an Indian actress who worked in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. Her first movie was in Telugu, Adapillala Tandri. In Kannada, she debuted with Bangarada Gudi and was a popular actress during the late 1970s. She has the distinction of having acted opposite the legendary Dr. Rajkumar in three successive hit movies in a single year - Operation Diamond Racket, Thayige Thakka Maga and Shankar Guru. She starred opposite Anant Nag in the comedy Narada Vijaya and the novel-based Baadada Hoo and both were highly successful. She acted in four to five movies with Dr. Vishnuvardhan, and played glamorous roles. Srinath, Ashok and Lokesh were her other costars in Kannada movies.
She had a successful career in Tamil films as a lead heroine between 1974 and 1981 movies Vazhthungal, Vaira Nenjam, Mohana Punnagai, Vaazhnthu Kaattugiren, Kuppathu Raja, Aayiram Jenmangal, and Madhuraiyai Meetta Sundharapandiyan are some of her notable Tamil films. She acted opposite Sivaji Ganesan in Vaira Nenjam and Mohana Punnagai. She was paired with M. G. Ramachandran in Madhuraiyai Meetta Sundharapandiyan portraying the role of a princess and Nallathai Naadu Kekum. She acted in nearly 80 movies, mainly in South Indian languages.
She acted in Telugu movies too, notably acted in 2 movies 'Cheekati Velugulu' and 'Maa Inti Devatha' with Super Star Krishna

Personal life

Padmapriya was regarded as the Hema Malini of the South. Padmapriya was born in Karnataka. In 1983, she married Srinivasan and the couple has a daughter named Vasumathi. Just a year after marriage, the couple filed for divorce, which dragged on for a long time. After filing for divorce, Padmapriya stayed with her parents for 13 years at T. Nagar.

Death

Padmapriya died on 16 November 1997 from heart disease as well as kidney failure. After her death, Vasumathi tried to enter the film industry but failed and is now settled in the United Kingdom.

Partial filmography

Padmapriya was fluent in all four South Indian languages and dubbed in her own voice. Her last movie in Tamil was Thotta Chinungi, where she played a mother's role. Table is in order of languages in which she acted, from the most to the fewest films after her marriage.
YearFilmRoleLanguageNote
1974Adapillala TandriTelugu
1975Cheekati VeluguluPadmaTelugu
1975Eduruleni ManishiSaralaTelugu
1975Karotti KannanKamalaTamil
1975Thiyaga UllamGeethaTamil
1975Vaira NenjamGeethaTamil
1975Uravu Solla OruvanIndraTamil
1975Anaya VilakkuAnandhiTamil
1975Vaazhnthu KaattugirenPankajamTamil
1975Engalakkum Kaadhal VarumTamil
1976Manchiki Maro PeruNeelimaTelugu
1976Unmaiye Un Vilai Enna?RamaTamil
1976Bangarada GudiArunaKannada
1977Sorgam NaragamRadhaTamil
1977PerumaikkuriyavalShanthiTamil
1977Deviyin ThirumanamTamil
1977Andru Sinthiya RathamRohiniTamil
1977Lakshmi NivasaKannada
1977ChathurvedamMalayalam
1977Akale AakaashamMalayalam
1977AbhiniveshamSathiMalayalam
1977AshtamangalyamMalayalam
1977SujathaMaliniMalayalam
1977Bhale AlluduSudhaTelugu
1978VazhthungalTamil
1978Madhuraiyai Meetta SundharapandiyanPrincess BhaminiTamil
1978Kungumam Kathai SolgirathuTamil
1978Aayiram JenmangalRadhaTamil
1978Varuvan VadivelanTamil
1978Agni PravesamTamil
1978Pottelu PunnammaRadhaTelugu
1978Thayige Thakka MagaMalaKannada
1978Shankar GuruMalathiKannada
1978Operation Diamond RacketMeenaKannada
1978Madhura SangamaCameoKannada
1978Aval Kanda LokamMalayalam
1978Prathyaksha DaivamMalayalam
1979Siri Siri MamaTamil
1979Kaathalikka 90 NaalTamil
1979Kuppathu RajaKasthuriTamil
1979Maralu SarapaniKannada
1979Preethi Madu Thamashe NoduPadminiKannada
1979Asadhya AliyaArunaKannada
1979Rahasya RathriKannada
1979PathivrithaMalayalam
1979Mani Koya KurupMalayalam
1980NeerottamKanmaniTamil
1980Pattanakke Banda PathniyaruKannada
1980Narada VijayaRadhaKannada
1980Nanna Rosha Nooru VarushaShanthiKannada
1980Manku ThimmaKannada
1980Maa Inti DevathaShobhaTelugu
1981Mohana PunnagaiBhamaTamil
1981Aparadhi NaanallaSarojaKannadaUnreleased
1982Oorige UpakariKannada
1982Baadada HooHemaKannada
1983Kalluveene NudiyithuKannada
1983Jasoos 999Hindi
1984Idhayam Thedum UdhayamTamil
1990Pudhu VarisuParvathiTamil
1991Nallathai Naadu KekumMalaTamilArchived footage
1994KaadhalanPrabhu's motherTamil
1995Gandhi Pirantha MannPadmaTamil
1995Thotta ChinungiLakshmiTamilLast Film in Tamil