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This article is about the actress. For the Indian athlete, see Anjali Devi (athlete).

Anjali Devi (pronunciationⓘ; 24 August 1927 – 13 January 2014) was an Indian actress, model and producer in Telugu and Tamil films. She was well known for her role as the Devi Sita in Lava Kusa as well as for the title roles in movies like Chenchu Lakshmi, Suvarna Sundari and Anarkali.

Anjali Devi
Born
Anjanamma

(1927-08-24)24 August 1927

Peddapuram, East Godavari, Madras Presidency (now in Andhra Pradesh), British India
Died13 January 2014(2014-01-13) (aged 86)

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupations
Spouse

(m. 1948; died 1991)​

Early life

Anjali Devi was born in Peddapuram, East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, India,[citation needed] as Anjamma. She changed her name to Anjani Kumari when acting in dramas. Later, director C. Pullaiah changed her name to Anjali Devi.[1]

Career

As actress

She was a theatre artiste before venturing into movies, her debut film role was as Lohitasva in “Raja Harishchandra” in 1936. Her first film as a heroine was Kashtajeevi by L. V. Prasad in 1940, but that film was abandoned after three reels shooting. Later, C.Pullayya discovered her and gave her the opportunity to star as Mohini in Gollabhama (1947). Based on her acting ability and looks, she became a star overnight in 1947. She eventually acted in more than 350 films, majority of them in Telugu films and a few in Hindi, Tamil and Kannada films as the heroine or in character roles.[2]

She acted in Lava Kusa, a milestone film and the first color film in the Telugu film industry in 1963. She is well known for playing Sita in Lava Kusa and her performances in films like Suvarna Sundari and Anarkali were also appreciated. Brundavanam (1992), Anna Vadina (1993) and Police Alludu (1994) were the last few films of her career. In Balaiah’s Police Alludu and Anna Vadina she appeared alongside Brahmanandam. She acted in various roles, such as a damsel, an angel, a dancer, a demon, a goddess, a traditional woman and later in mother roles.[3]

As producer

In 1955 she produced the film Anarkali, in which she herself played the title role, with Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Prince Salim. Then she produced V. Madhusudan Rao’s Bhakta Tukaram and Chandipriya. Bollywood and Tollywood actress Jayapradha played the lead role in the latter alongside Sobhan Babu and Chiranjeevi. As a producer she has produced 27 films. An ardent devotee of Sri Sathya Sai Baba she produced and acted in Shirdi Sai Parthi Sai Divyakatha, a tele-serial on the life and avatar of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.[4]

Personal life

She married P. Adinarayana Rao, a music director, in 1948.[2] They settled in Chennai. They have two sons. Together, they produced many Telugu films under the banner, Anjali Pictures. Their granddaughter, Saila Rao, is also an actress.[citation needed]

Death

Devi died at the age of 86 on 13 January 2014 at Vijaya Hospital, in Chennai, due to a cardiac arrest.[2] Her organs were donated to Ramachandra Medical College.[5]

Awards

Filmography

Actress

YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
1947GollabhamaMohiniTelugu
1947Mahathma UdangarRambaiTamil
1948BalarajuTelugu
1948Adhithan KanavuTamil
1949Kanniyin KaadhaliPrincess Megala DeviTamil
1949Keelu GurramMohiniTelugu
1949MayavathiTamil
1949MangaiyarkarasiTamil
1950Palleturi PillaSanthaTelugu
1950Swapna SundariSwapna SundariTelugu
1950Maya RambhaTelugu
1951NirdoshiNirmalaTelugu
1951NiraparadhiTamil
1951SarvadhigariTamil
1951SarvadhikariTelugu
1951MarmayogiTamil
1951MarmayogiTelugu
1951MayalamariTamil
1951MayalamaariTelugu
1951MayamalaiTamil
1951Stree SahasamTelugu
1951StrisahasamTamil
1952Ezhai UzhavanTamil
1953Pakkinti AmmayiLeela DeviTelugu
1953InspectorTamil
1953PoongodhaiTamil
1953ParadesiTelugu
1953LadkiKaminiHindiHindi Debut
1954RechukkaNanaTelugu
1954Naattiya TharaNanaTamil
1954PennKaminiTamil
1954SanghamKaminiTelugu
1954Sorga VasalThilagawathiTamil
1954PonvayalSembaTamil
1954Rattha PasamTamil
1955AnarkaliAnarkaliTelugu
1955Charana DaasiTelugu
1955Kanavaney Kankanda DeivamPrincess NaliniTamil
1955Kalam MaripochuTamil
1955JayasimhaTelugu
1955JayasimmanTamil
1955Doctor SavithriTamil
1955Mudhal ThethiTamil
1955Town BusAmudhaTamil
1956DevtaHindi
1956Mathar Kula ManickamTamil
1956Kaalam Maari PochuTamil
1957Allauddin Adhbhuta DeepamYasmin, the PrincessTelugu
1957Alavudheenum Arputha VillakkumYasmin, the PrincessTamil
1957Panduranga MahatyamRamaTelugu
1957Suvarna SundariTelugu
1957Manaalane Mangaiyin BaakkiyamSundariTamil
1957Chakravarthi ThirumagalKalamaliniTamil
1957Neelamalai ThirudanMaragathamTamil
1958Chenchu LakshmiGoddess LakshmiTelugu
1958Chenchu LakshmiGoddess LakshmiTamil
1958Illarame NallaramTamil
1958Raja NandiniRamaniTelugu
1958Kanniyin SabadhamTamil
1959JayabheriManjulavaniTelugu
1959Bala NagammaTelugu
1959KalaivananTamil
1959Naan Sollum RagasiyamTamil
1960Bhatti VikramarkaTelugu
1960Mannadhi MannanPrincess KarpagavalliTamil
1960Aadavantha DeivamKalyaniTamil
1960Adutha Veettu PennTamil
1960Engal SelviTamil
1961NaganandhiniTamil
1961PangaaligalTamil
1962BhishmaAmbaTelugu
1962Swarna ManjariTelugu
1962Mangaiyar Ullam Mangatha SelvamTamil
1962Naag DevtaMohiniHindi
1963Lava KusaSitaTelugu
1963Lava KusaSitaTamil
1963Paruvu PrathishtaTelugu
1965Sati SakkubaiTelugu
1966Chilaka GorinkaTelugu
1966Palnati YudhamTelugu
1966Rangula RatnamTelugu
1967Bhakta PrahladaLeelavatiTelugu
1967RahasyamTelugu
1968VeeranjaneyaSitaTelugu
1969Sri Rama Katha[7]Bhavani, wife of Makaradhwaja MaharajuTelugu
1970Amma KosamTelugu
1971Dasara BulloduYashodaTelugu
1971Kalyana MandapamTelugu
1971SabathamRajeswariTamil
1971ArunodhayamTamil
1972Badi PanthuluTelugu
1972Maa Inti VeluguTelugu
1972Bala BharatamTelugu
1972Tata ManavaduTelugu
1973Bhakta TukaramAvali BaiTelugu
1973Nindu Kutumbam[8]ShanthaTelugu
1973Srivaru Maavaru[9]BhagyalakshmiTelugu
1973Mayadari Malligadu[10]SaraswathiTelugu
1973Jeevana TarangaluTelugu
1974Peddalu Maarali[11]SeethaTelugu
1974Uttama Illalu[12]LakshmiTelugu
1974Urimai KuralTamil
1975SoggaduTelugu
1975Mallela Manasulu[13]AnnapoornaTelugu
1976Padi Pantalu[14]Seethamma, Mother of GopiTelugu
1976Mahakavi KshetrayyaTelugu
1976Raaja[15]Raaja’s motherTelugu
1976MonagaduShantammaTelugu
1977Seetha Rama VanavasamTelugu
KurukshetramKuntiTelugu
1978Dudu BasavannaGourammaTelugu
1979Annai Oru AlayamTamil
1979Amma Evarikaina AmmaTelugu
1979TigerTelugu
1980Ram Robert RahimTelugu
1980Venkateswara Vratha Mahatyam[16]ParvathyTelugu
1980ChandipriyaTelugu
1980AdrushtavanthuduJanakiTelugu
1980Bhale KrishnuduTelugu
1981Jeevitha RathamSavithriTelugu
1983Lanke Bindelu[17]ParvathammaTelugu
1983Poratam
1984Pozhudhu VidinjachuTamil
1985Surya ChandraTelugu
1986Sri Shirdi Saibaba MahathyamTelugu
1987SrutilayaluTelugu
1987Punnami ChandruduTelugu
1987Kadhal ParisuTamil
1989Krishna Gari AbbayiTelugu
1992BrundavanamLakshmi DeviTelugu
1994Police Alludu[18]AnnapurnammaTelugu

Producer

  • Paradesi
  • Suvarna Sundari
  • Swarnamanjari
  • Chandi Priya
  • Sati Sakkubai
  • Shirdi Sai Sathya Sai Divya Katha (television series)
  • Anarkali

See also

References

  1. ^ “Sita of many hearts, Anjali Devi dies at 86”. The Times of India. 14 January 2014. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c “Veteran actor Anjali Devi dead”. The Hindu. 14 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  3. ^ “Biography Movie Review – Home”. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  4. ^ “Sri Sai Baba- Shirdi Sai Parthi Sai Divya Katha”. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  5. ^ “Anjali Devi passes away”. Filmcircle.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  6. ^ “Multilingual actress Jayanti wins B. Saroja Devi National Award”. Uni India. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  7. ^ “Sri Rama Katha (1969)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  8. ^ “Nindu Kutumbam on Moviebuff.com”. Moviebuff.com. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  9. ^ “Srivaru Maavaru (1973)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  10. ^ “Mayadari Malligadu (1973)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  11. ^ “Peddalu Maarali (1974)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  12. ^ “Uttama Illalu (1974)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  13. ^ “Mallela Manasulu 1975 Telugu Movie Cast Crew,Actors,Director, Mallela Manasulu Producer,Banner,Music Director,Singers & Lyricists”. MovieGQ. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  14. ^ “Padi Pantalu (1976)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  15. ^ “Raaja (1976)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  16. ^ “Venkateswara Vratha Mahatyam (వేంకటేశ్వర వ్రత మహత్యం) 1980 | ♫ tunes”. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  17. ^ “Lanke Bindelu (1983)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  18. ^ “Police Alludu (1994)”. Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 6 June 2023.