
Padmini
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1932-06-12
Day of Death
2006-09-24 (74 years old)
Place of Birth
Thiruvananthapuram, Travancore, British India
Padmini
Biography
Padmini (12 June 1932 – 24 September 2006) was an Indian actress and trained Bharathanatyam dancer, who acted in over 250 Indian films. She acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi language films. Padmini, with her elder sister Lalitha and her younger sister Ragini, were called the "Travancore sisters".
Padmini was born and raised in Thiruvananthapuram, in what was then the princely state of Travancore (now the Indian state of Kerala). She was the second daughter of Sree Thankappan Pillai and Saraswathi Amma, both coming from noble Nair families. Her sisters Lalitha and Ragini, were also well known film actresses. Together, the three were known as the Travancore sisters. Padmini and her sisters learnt Bharathanatyam from Thiruvidaimarudur Mahalingam Pillai. The trio were the disciples of Indian dancer Guru Gopinath. They learnt Kathakali and Kerala Natanam styles of dancing from him. N.S. Krishnan noticed her talents while she was presenting Parijatha Pushpapaharanam in Thiruvananthapuram. After that performance, he said that in the future she would become an actress. She was thus cast as heroine in his own production Manamagal.
The Travancore Sisters grew up in a joint family tharavadu (Malaya Cottage) in Poojappura, Trivandrum. The matriarchial head of the family was Karthiyayini Amma, whose husband was P.K. Pillai (Palakunnathu Krishna Pillai of Cherthala) alias "Penang Padmanabha Pillai". P.K. Pillai had six sons, of whom Satyapalan Nair (Baby) was a leading producer of many early Malayalam films. They performed at the 1955 Filmfare Awards. Padmini was a leading actress and one of the highest paid actresses of the 50s, 60s and 70s. She is also known as one of the charming beauty queens of the 50s and 60s. She was given the title "Natya Peroli" in Tamil Nadu because of her excellent Bharatnatyam performances in Tamil films. Her Tamil movie Thillana Mohanambal, is a cult classic of Tamil cinema and continues to be remembered even today. Her beautiful performance in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai was outstanding and made her a national star.
Acting
(1993)
Dollar
as Ammachi
(1991)
Vasthuhara
as Bhavani
(1986)
Thaaiku Oru Thaalaattu
as Dhanam
(1986)
Lakshmi Vandhachu
as Rajeshwari
(1985)
Poove Poochudava
as Poongavanathamma
(1984)
Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu
as Kunjoonjamma Thomas
(1982)
(1978)
(1977)
Navarathinam
as Vayiduriyam
(1976)
(1972)
(1971)
Thenum Paalum
as Janaki
(1971)
(1971)
(1971)
Rickshawkaran
as Parvathi
(1971)
(1971)
Iru Thuruvam
as Thangam
(1971)
(1970)
Mera Naam Joker
as Meenu
(1970)
Mastana
as Gauri
(1970)
(1970)
Penn Daivam
as Ponnamma
(1970)
(1970)
(1970)
(1970)
Vilaiyaattu Pillai
as Maragatham
(1970)
(1969)
Bhai Bahen
as Rani / Tara
(1969)
Kumara Sambhavam
as Parvathi / Sathi
(1969)
Nannha Farishta
as Gauri
(1969)
(1968)
Thillana Mohanambal
as Mohanambal
(1968)
Thirumaal Perumai
as Dancer
(1968)
Kuzhanthaikkaga
as Gowri
(1967)
Iruttinte Athmavu
as Nani
(1967)
(1967)
(1967)
(1966)
(1966)
(1966)
Thaaye Unakkaga
as Devi
(1966)
Saraswathi Sabatham
as Parvathi
(1965)
Mahabharat
as Draupadi
(1965)
Kaajal
as Bhanu
(1963)
Dil Hi To Hai
as Bahar
(1963)
(1963)
Naan Vanangum Deivam
as Rukmani
(1963)
(1962)
Aashiq
as Preeti
(1962)
(1962)
(1962)
Rani Samyuktha
as Rani Samyuktha
(1961)
(1961)
(1961)
Punar Janmam
as Parvathi
(1960)
Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai
as Kammo
(1960)
Singapore
as Lata
(1960)
Vidivelli
as Rosie
(1960)
Meenda Sorgam
as Nirmala
(1960)
Deiva Piravi
as Thangam
(1960)
Bindya
as Bindya
(1960)
(1960)
(1960)
(1959)
Veerapandiya Kattabomman
as Vellayamma
(1959)
(1959)
Maragatham
as Maragatham/Alamu
(1959)
(1958)
(1958)
(1958)
Uthama Puthiran
as Amudhavalli
(1958)
The Eternal Lamp
as Roopa
(1958)
(1958)
(1958)
Vanjikottai Valiban
as Princess Padma
(1958)
(1958)
Sampoorna Ramayanam
as Seetha
(1957)
Journey Beyond Three Seas
as Court Dancer Lakshmi
(1957)
(1957)
(1957)
(1957)
(1957)
(1956)
Madurai Veeran
as Velliaiyamma
(1956)
Amara Deepam
as Roopa
(1956)
(1956)
(1955)
Mangayar Thilakam
as Sulochana
(1954)
Kalyanam Panniyum Brammachari
as Padmini
(1954)
Thookku Thookki
as Rajakumari
(1954)
Edhir Paradhathu
as Sumathi
(1954)
(1953)
Anbu
as Malathi
(1952)
Panam
as Jeeva
(1952)
(1952)
Mr. Sampat
as Malini
(1952)
Amarakavi
as Special appearance
(1950)
(1950)
(1950)
(1950)
(1950)
Prasanna
as Madanika
(1949)
Vaazhkai
as Dancer
(1949)
Laila Majnu
as Dancer
(1949)
The Maiden's Lover
as Dancer
(1948)
(1933)
Marthanda Varma
as Parukutty