S. N. Lakshmi


Sennalkudi Narayana Lakshmi was an Indian actress, who appeared in supporting roles, often playing roles of a mother or grandmother in films. A recipient of the state government's Kalaimamani and Kalaiselvam awards, Lakshmi acted in more than 1,500 films and 6,000 dramas.

Early life

Lakshmi was born to Narayana Thevar as the thirteenth child and left home aged 11 because her six older brothers did not give her the attention she wanted. Her family had to move from their village town of Sennalkudi to Virudhunagar after their father had died and her mother worked at a small hotel and also at the temple to keep the family afloat. Her neighbour, a dancer, helped Lakshmi join a drama troupe and she quickly picked up the steps she was taught and travelled with them from place to place. When the actors reached Raja Mannargudi they left her with a family which put her on a train to Madras and bade farewell. When she was wondering alone, help came in the form of a lorry driver's wife who noticed her and showed her the way to Gemini Studios, which opened its doors to the destitute. It took eight years for her family to find her.
She soon joined the studio staff at a salary of Rs. 150 and then rented a house with four other young girls and hired a cook. Before her film career began, Lakshmi had years of theatre experience, with more than 2,000 plays to her credit. From Ganandesikar's and N. S. Krishnan's theatre troupes to S. V. Sahasranamam's Seva Stage and K. Balachander's Ragini Recreations, Lakshmi trained under stalwarts. Lakshmi acted as a man in many all-woman plays, doing stunts and acrobatics and even fought a leopard as an extra in the MGR film, Baghdad Thirudan. In 1959, she bought her first home in Royapettah on Pachaiappan Nayakkan Road. Three years later, she bought her first car, a Morris Eight.

Career

She started as a group dancer in Chandralekha. Plays and one-scene appearances in films continued until N. S. Krishnan gave her a pivotal role in Nalla Thangai and then her real breakthrough came through Muktha Srinivasan's maiden venture Thamarai Kulam followed by Engal Kula Devi and Naalu Veli Nilam. Nagesh then recommended her to K. Balachander to star in Server Sundaram, after he had been impressed with her performance in the theatre show of the same name, and the film's success prompted more offers for the actress.
Kamal Haasan called her to feature in Thevar Magan while she was taking a break in Puttaparthi and from then until Virumaandi, Lakshmi has been a part of nearly all of Kamal Haasan productions and such was his confidence in her ability that he would ask the assistants to give her the dialogue and move away, confident that she would handle it on her own.
Before her death she was doing a role as Meenakshi's grandmother in the serial "Saravanan Meenakshi" in Vijay TV and also as Thulasi's grand mother in the serial "Thendral" in SunTV .

Personal life

Lakshmi has mentioned that "marriage didn't appeal to her", and that her brothers' grandchildren and their kids are now regulars at her house.
Until the early 2000s, Lakshmi would move around town by driving but was forced to give it up after she broke her leg. On Sunday mornings she would visit Sai Kripa, a free medical centre in Chennai and help the staff.

Death

S. N. Lakshmi died in Chennai on 20 February 2012, aged 85. She had a cardiac arrest in the early hours of 20 February, following which she was rushed to a hospital. However, doctors declared her dead. Her body was kept at her Saligramam residence where film personalities made tributes. Her cremation took place in her native town of Virudhunagar.

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
1948ChandralekhaGroup Dancer
1955Doctor Savithri
1955Nalla ThangaiEnglish Teacher
1959Thamarai Kulam
1959Engal KuladeviValli
1959Naalu Veli Nilam
1960Baghdad ThirudanMaharani
1961Panam Panthiyile
1962Avana IvanAmudhavalli
1963Thulasi Maadam
1964Server SundaramSundaram's mother
1964Dheiva ThaaiMegala's grandmother
1964NaanalLakshmi
1964Karuppu PanamSattanathan's first wife
1965Panchavarna KiliMeenakshi
1965Vaazhkai Padagu
1965Kaakum KarangalShankar's mother
1966Marakka Mudiyumaa?
1966KodimalarMaragatham
1966ChandhrodhayamMaheshwari
1966RamuKannamma
1967Anubavi Raja AnubaviManikkam's mother
1967Thaikku ThalaimaganMeenakshi
1967VivasayeeSivagami
1968Lakshmi KalyanamRajadurai's mother
1968Thirumal PerumaiDancer's mother
1968Thaer ThiruvizhaParvathi Ammal
1968Ethir Neechal
1965TeacherammaShankar's mother
1968Thamarai NenjamNarayanan's Mother
1968Ragasiya Police 115Kamatchi
1969Iru KodugalJanaki's aunt
1970Raman Ethanai RamanadiRaman's grandmother
1970Maattukara VelanRaghu's mother
1970En AnnanMurali's mother
1970Kaaviya ThalaiviSuresh's mother
1970Nadu IravilVadivambal
1970Enga MamaMuralikrishnan's mother
1971Then KinnamMeenakshi
1972DheivamValliyammai's Neighbor
1972Annamitta KaiGandhimathi
1972Naan Yen PirandhenChinnamma
1973Vandhaale MagaraasiLakshmi's Mother
1973Pattikaattu PonnaiyaMeenatchi
1973Komatha En KulamathaArun's mother
1973Thirumalai DeivamBlind boy’s mother
1975Ninaithadhai MudippavanMohan's mother
1975Pattikkaattu RajaThangam
1977Indru Pol Endrum VaazhgaMaya's mother
1977NavarathinamPangajethamma
1978Chittu KuruviPangajethamma
1985Kanni RasiLakshmipathi's mother
1985Deivapiravi
1988Ennai Vittu Pogaathe
1988Agni NatchathiramRajamma
1988Therkathi KallanKallan's mother
1990Michael Madana Kama RajanTripurasundari's grandmother
1990Salem VishnuVishnu's mother
1992Thevar MaganPeriyaatha
1992ChinnavarMuthu's mother
1992Thanga ManasukkaranChellakili's grandmother
1992Villu PattukaranKalimuthu's mother
1993Amma Ponnu
1993EjamaanMidwife
1994MahanadhiSaraswathi Ammal
1995Muthu Kulikka Vaarieyala
1995Chinna Vathiyar
1996Aruva VeluVelu's grandmother
1996Minor MappillaiRamu's grandmother
1996Priyam
1997IruvarTamizhselvan's mother
1998Ninaithen VandhaiSavithri's grandmother
1998Kaathala KaathalaNoorjahan
1998JeansMeiyaththa's mother
1999Suriya PaarvaiLakshmi's mother
1999KallazhagarAandal's grandmother
1999Chinna RajaPaatti
1999SangamamMeenu
1999PonvizhaPonni's grandmother
1999Manaivikku MariyadhaiPandian's grandmother
2000VaanathaippolaAppatha
2000Thai PoranthachuParvathiammal
2000Kandukondain KandukondainChinnatha
2000EnnavalleLakshmi's mother
2001FriendsGautham's grandmother
2001Ninaikkatha Naalillai Arun's grandmother
2001KuttyViruthamba
2001Poovellam Un Vasam
2004VirumaandiVirumaandi's grandma
2006Kalvanin KadhaliHaritha's grandmother
2006Perarasu
2006Vathiyar
2008Pirivom Santhippom
2008KuruviVetrivel's grandmother
2008SilambattamThamizh & Muthuvel's grandmother
2010Drohi
2010Vaada
2011Mahaan KanakkuOrphanage Caretaker

TV serials

YearTitleRoleChannel-
2000Balachandarin ChinnathiraiRaj TV-
2001-2003AlaigalChandrasekhar, Rajasekhar and Savithri's motherSun TV-
2003-2007SorgamSun TV-
2004-2006NimmathiSun TV-
2005-2006Alli RajjiyamMangammaSun TV
2007PaasamSun TV-
2007-2009Vaira NejamSakthi's GrandmotherKalaignar TV-
2007-2008Namma KudumbamRaja's grandmotherKalaignar TV-
2008-2009KalasamNeelambari and Ranjini's grandmotherSun TV-
2009-2012ThendralThulasi's GrandmotherSun TV-
2010-2012Mundhanai MudichuKandhaswamy's motherSun TV-
2011-2012Saravanan MeenatchiMeenakshi's GrandmotherSTAR Vijay-