Tribute-T.P.Rajalakshmi 1911-64

T.P.Rajalakshmi was born on 11 November 1911 in the town of Thiruvaiyaru in the then Tanjore district of the Madras Presidency.

In order to support her family, Rajalakshmi joined a drama troupe and acted in stage plays. She learnt dance and music from Sankaradas Swamigal, a popular dramatist. Rajalakshmi got her big break in 1931, when she was cast as the heroine in the first Tamil talkie, Kalidas.

Later on, Rajalakshmi turned out to be the star cast of those days. Many directors and producers requested Rajalakshmi to provide her call sheet for the upcoming films. She gave birth to a female child and named the child as "Kamala" in 1936.

T.P.Rajalakshmi also directed a film named Miss Kamala' and inaugurated the birth of her daughter Kamala. The movie Miss Kamala turned out to be a blockbuster hit of those days and Rajalakshmi was a leading star of those days, which made the people to expect and wait anxious for Rajalakshmi's upcoming movies. She was the top star of those days and continued her role in several films.

As a novelty, Rajalakshmi introduced a sequence in which a song is heard over the radio. It was a period when radio was not yet a familiar medium of entertainment.

Rajalakshmi employed stunt sequences to portray the kidnapping of the heroine by a hired gang for which she engaged well known stunt actors of the day — ‘Battling’ C. S. D. Singh and ‘Stunt’ Rajoo.

She was honored with the title "Cinema Rani" and later, she was awarded the "Kalaimamani" award for her excellence towards the Cine Industry, for which Puratchi Thalaivar Dr.M.G.Ramachandran, who was the Chief Minister honored T.P.Rajalakshmi by sending his own car to Rajalakhmi's house in order to invite the pioneer to the venue, where Rajalakshmi was facilitated and awarded.

She later switched to matronly roles in movies such as Idhaya Geetham.

T.P.Rajalakshmi's birth Centenary was celebrated by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The Nadigar Sangam of South India honored TPR by constituting an award in her name(T.P.Rajalakshmi award) for the forthcoming generations in the 63rd Annual General Body Meet. Senior Actress Smt.M.N.Rajam was the first recipient to receive the T.P.Rajalakshmi award.