Kumari Rukmini – Lead south Indian actress of 1940s and 1950s with ‘Sri Valli’ to her credit

Kumari Rukmini (1929 – 2007) was an Indian actress who predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films, apart from a few Hindi films. She started her career as a child artist in 1935, and got her major break as a lead actress through the titular role in commercial hit ­- Sri Valli (1945). She played lead roles till early 1950s, and after her marriage with her co-star Y. V. Rao, she took a small break from industry. Since early 1960s she portrayed character roles, and has appeared in around 100 movies belonging to different languages till late 1970s. She made one more appearance two decades later in Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) in a brief character role. Her daughter Lakshmi and granddaughter Aishwarya are also film stars.

A screenshot from Sri Valli (1945) – Kumari Rukmini’s first lead role

Harichandra in 1935 marked Kumari Rukmini’s screen debut as a child actress

Kumari Rukmini hailed from Melattur in Thanjavur District. Her mother Nungambakkam Janaki was also an actress and dancer. Her entry to films was only co-incidental. She was in Mumbai that time, when she stayed along with her parents in next room where cine actress T. P. Rajalakshmi was staying. Filmmakers of Harichandra were in search of a child artist of the movie, T. P. Rajalakshmi who played lead role in the movie recommended Rukmini’s name to its producers. Thus Harichandra marked her screen debut in 1935 at the age of six. She played Lohidasa, son of Harischandra in her debut flick, and her name was credited as Baby Rukmini. Since then she featured as a child artist in many movies such as Chintamani, Balayogini, Desa Munnetram, Rishyasringar etc till 1941.

Kumari Rukmini was one of the successful heroines of early talkies

In 1945 she marked her screen debut in the titular role in Sri Valli, produced by AVM Productions. She played Lord Subramaniya’s wife Valli in the movie, and was paired with T. R. Mahalingam. The movie’s success gave major breaks to both its lead actors, and Rukmini continued playing lead roles till she started her family life. She played lead roles in Lavangi (1946), Mullaivanam (1955) etc. In the 1960s and 1970s she played numerous mother kind of character roles on screen. Karnan, Navaratri, Vennira Aadai, Mani Osai, Idhayathil Nee, Thalaivan, Moondrudeivangal, Rojavin Raja etc are some of her noted character roles.

She shared screen space with Sivaji Ganesan in the patriotic film, Kappalottiya Thamizhan (1961), which received rave reviews from critics, but met with commercial failure. She was a part of the ensemble cast of one of the most favourite films ever of Sivaji Ganesan, where she played his heroine. After playing lead roles in Mullaivanam (1955) and Kappalottiya Thamizhan (1961), she moved to mother roles in the early 1960s. Interestingly she played Karnan’s foster mother in the mythological film, Karnan, the titular role played on screen by Sivaji Ganesan. 

Kumari Rukmini – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. While shooting for the movie, Lavangi (1946), she fell in love with her co-star Y. V. Rao and they got married.

2. Y. V. Rao produced Lavangi (1946). But the movie was a commercial failure in Tamil and its dubbed Hindi version too.

3. Her mother Nungambakkam Janaki worked as a dancer in early talkies.

4. Known actor Mohan Sharma of Chattakari fame was her son-in-law. Rukmini’s daughter Lakshmi who played the female lead in the movie later married him, and got separated as well.

5. Her granddaughter Aishwarya has worked in many south Indian movies since early 1990s, and moved to character roles in the early 2000s. She is the fourth generation actress from the family.

6. She was last seen in Kandukondain Kandukondain, playing Manivannan’s mother.