Padmini
Known For
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
Jun 12, 1932 (94 years old)
Place of Birth
Thiruvananthapuram, Travancore, British India
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.
Known For
| 1993 | DollarAmmachi | |
| 1991 | VasthuharaBhavani | |
| 1986 | Thaaiku Oru ThaalaattuDhanam | |
| 1986 | Lakshmi VandhachuRajeshwari | |
| 1985 | Poove PoochudavaPoongavanathamma | |
| 1984 | Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum NattuKunjoonjamma Thomas | |
| 1982 | Dard Ka Rishta | |
| 1978 | Punniya Boomi | |
| 1977 | NavarathinamVayiduriyam | |
| 1976 | Uzhaikkum Karangal | |
| 1972 | Appa Tata | |
| 1971 | Annai Velankanni | |
| 1971 | Thirumagal | |
| 1971 | Adi Parasakthi | |
| 1971 | Iru ThuruvamThangam | |
| 1971 | Kulama Gunama | |
| 1971 | RickshawkaranParvathi | |
| 1971 | Thenum PaalumJanaki | |
| 1970 | Penn DaivamPonnamma | |
| 1970 | Sabarimala Shri Dharmasastha | |
| 1970 | Ethirkalam | |
| 1970 | Vilaiyaattu PillaiMaragatham | |
| 1970 | Vietnam Veedu | |
| 1970 | Mera Naam JokerMeenu | |
| 1970 | MastanaGauri | |
| 1970 | Raman Ethanai Ramanadi | |
| 1970 | Vivahitha | |
| 1969 | Nannha FarishtaGauri | |
| 1969 | Bhai BahenRani / Tara | |
| 1969 | Kumara SambhavamParvathi / Sathi | |
| 1969 | Gurudhatchanai | |
| 1968 | Thillana MohanambalMohanambal | |
| 1968 | Thirumaal PerumaiDancer | |
| 1968 | KuzhanthaikkagaGowri | |
| 1967 | Iru Malargal | |
| 1967 | Thiruvarutchelvar | |
| 1967 | Iruttinte AthmavuNani | |
| 1967 | Aurat | |
| 1967 | Vasantha SenaAnaga Sena | |
| 1966 | Afsana | |
| 1966 | Selvam | |
| 1966 | Saraswathi SabathamParvathi | |
| 1966 | Thaaye UnakkagaDevi | |
| 1965 | MahabharatDraupadi | |
| 1965 | KaajalBhanu | |
| 1963 | Naan Vanangum DeivamRukmani | |
| 1963 | Nenjam Marappathillai | |
| 1963 | Dil Hi To HaiBahar | |
| 1963 | Iruvar Ullam | |
| 1962 | AashiqPreeti | |
| 1962 | VikramaadhithanPrincess Rathnamalai | |
| 1962 | Rani SamyukthaRani Samyuktha | |
| 1962 | Paadha Kaanikkai | |
| 1961 | Punar JanmamParvathi | |
| 1961 | Then Nilavu | |
| 1961 | Umminithanka | |
| 1960 | Deiva PiraviThangam | |
| 1960 | Meenda SorgamNirmala | |
| 1960 | Arasilangumari | |
| 1960 | Raja Desingu | |
| 1960 | Mannadhi Mannan | |
| 1960 | BindyaBindya | |
| 1960 | Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti HaiKammo | |
| 1960 | SingaporeLata | |
| 1960 | VidivelliRosie | |
| 1959 | Thangapadumai | |
| 1959 | Veerapandiya KattabommanVellayamma | |
| 1959 | MaragathamMaragatham/Alamu | |
| 1959 | Do Behnen | |
| 1959 | Chathurangam | |
| 1958 | Uthama PuthiranAmudhavalli | |
| 1958 | Ponnu Vilayum Bhoomi | |
| 1958 | Vanjikottai ValibanPrincess Padma | |
| 1958 | Raj Tilak | |
| 1958 | Mujrim | |
| 1958 | Sampoorna RamayanamSeetha | |
| 1958 | The Eternal LampRoopa | |
| 1958 | Annaiyin Aanai | |
| 1958 | Raagini | |
| 1957 | Journey Beyond Three SeasCourt Dancer Lakshmi | |
| 1957 | Pudhaiyal | |
| 1957 | BaagyavathiMeena | |
| 1957 | Rajarajan | |
| 1957 | Mallika | |
| 1957 | Payal | |
| 1956 | Amara DeepamRoopa | |
| 1956 | Asai | |
| 1956 | Madurai VeeranVelliaiyamma | |
| 1956 | Iru Sahodarigal | |
| 1955 | Mangayar ThilakamSulochana | |
| 1955 | KoteeswaranNeela | |
| 1954 | Kalyanam Panniyum BrammachariPadmini | |
| 1954 | Snehaseema | |
| 1954 | Thookku ThookkiRajakumari | |
| 1954 | Edhir ParadhathuSumathi | |
| 1954 | SorgavasalQueen Kumara Devi | |
| 1953 | AnbuMalathi | |
| 1952 | Andhaman Kaidhi | |
| 1952 | AmarakaviSpecial appearance | |
| 1952 | PanamJeeva | |
| 1952 | Mr. SampatMalini | |
| 1951 | Or Iravu | |
| 1951 | DevakiSelf - Dancer | |
| 1950 | Thigambara Samiar | |
| 1950 | Marudhanaattu Ilavarasi | |
| 1950 | Manthiri Kumari | |
| 1950 | PrasannaMadanika | |
| 1950 | Ezhai Padum PaaduLakshmi | |
| 1950 | Laila MajnuSelf - Dancer | |
| 1949 | Kanniyin KaadhaliDancer | |
| 1949 | Laila MajnuDancer | |
| 1949 | VaazhkaiDancer | |
| 1949 | Velaikari | |
| 1948 | Mohini | |
| 1933 | Marthanda VarmaParukutty |













