K. B. Sundarambal
| K.B.Sundarambal | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
10 October 1908 |
| Died | 15 October 1980 (aged 72) |
| Spouse(s) | S. G. Kittappa (m. 1927–33) |
| Awards | |
10 October 1908
Kodumudi, Coimbatore District, Madras Presidency, British India
Kodumudi Balambal Sundarambal (1908–1980) was a stage artist, actor and singer from Erode district, Tamil Nadu. She performed in Tamil cinema and was referred to as the "Queen of the Indian stage." A political activist during the Indian independence movement, K.B. Sundarambal was the first film personality to enter a state legislature in India.
K.B. Sundarambal was born on 11 October 1908 in the town of Kodumudi (also spelled "Kodumadi"), on the banks of Kaveri river, in Erode district in Tamil Nadu. As a child, she made money by singing on trains and receiving tips.
That was Sundarambal's training in music. According to some sources, it was while singing thus on a train for alms that the 19-year-old Sundarambal attracted the attention of F. G. Natesa Iyer, an amateur stage actor, producer and talent-scout, later municipal chairman of tiruchchirapalli district, in chennai. According to other sources, it was a police official named Krishnaswamy Iyer, an acquaintance of Balambal, who discovered the talent in Sundarambal and introduced the 19-year-old girl to P. S. Velu Nair, one of the reigning dramatists of that era.
In either case, Sundarambal is believed to have made her debut in 1927, on the Tamil stage, as a member of a travelling theatre troupe. This was the turning point in her life. The talented young girl honed her voice while performing small roles on stage and keeping audiences entertained between acts. Soon enough, she was playing leading roles on stage. Her early stage plays like "Valli Thirumanam," "Pavalakodi" and "Harishchandra" proved to be great hits. In particular, "Valli Thirumanam", where she co-starred with S.G. Kittappa, was a phenomenal success.
...
Wikipedia