Leelavathi (actress)

M Leelavathi
Leelavathi at Kalamandira, Mysore
Born	Leela Kiran 1937 (1937) Mangalore, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Karnataka, India) Beltangadi, Dakshina Kannada District
Occupation	Actress, film producer, writer, philanthropist[1]
Years active	1958–present
Children	Vinod Raj
Parent(s)	Subbaiah

Leelavathi (born Leela Kiran) is an Indian actress who worked in Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. She has acted in more than 600 films (more than 400 in Kannada alone) throughout her career for more than 50 years. She is known for her memorable performances in Bhaktha Kumbara , Mana mechida Madadi and Santa Tukaram. She has been the recipient of the Dr. Rajkumar Award in 1999 and Filmfare Awards.

Early life[]

She was born in 1937 at Beltangadi, Dakshina Kannada district. She lost her parents at the age of 6.^{[citation needed]}

Film career[]

She got a small role in Chanchala Kumari and then in Shanker Singh's film Naga Kannika. She later joined the troupe of Mahalinga Bhagavathar's Sri Sahitya Samrajya Drama Company.^[2] She got a chance to act in Subbainaidu's 1958 movie Bhakta Prahlada and in movies like Mangalya Yoga, Dharma Vijaya and Ranadheera Kanteerava. It was from Rani Honnamma that Leelavathi became a full-fledged heroine. In Santha Thukaram, Kantheredu Nodu, Kaivara Mahatme, Gaali Gopura, Kanyarathna, Kulavadhu, Veera Kesari and Mana Mecchida Madadi , she was the leading lady. She has starred in supporting roles in Gejje Pooje and Doctor Krishna for which she received the Karnataka State Award.

She has the rare distinction of having worked with Rajkumar in various films as heroine as well as his daughter (in Bhoodana), sister (in Vathsalya), sister in law (in Premamayi), paternal aunt (in Shravana Banthu) and mother in law (in Jwaalamukhi).

Awards and recognitions[]

• Dr. Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 from Karnataka Government.^[3]
• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Kannada for Kannadada Kanda in 2006

Leelavathi was conferred with the honorary doctorate from the Tumkur University in the year 2008 for her contribution to the southern cinema.^[4][5]

Partial filmography[]

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As actress[]

First Film in Kannada: Mangalya Yoga

First Film in Tamil: Pattinathaar

First Film in Telugu: Marmayogi

First Film in Malayalam: Pamasiraja

First Film in Tulu: Saviradoorthi Savitri^[6]

As producer[]

References[]

External links[]

• Leelavathi at IMDb