Pandari Bai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Geetha[1] (1928-09-18)18 September 1928[2] |
| Died | 29 January 2003(2003-01-29) (aged 74)[2][3] Chennai,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1943–2001 |
| Works | Full list |
| Relatives | Mynavathi (sister) |
| Honours | Kalaimamani (1965) |
Pandari Bai (18 September 1928 – 29 January 2003)[2][3] was an Indian actress who worked inSouth Indian cinema, mostly inKannada cinema during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She is considered Kannada cinema's first successful heroine.[4] She has acted as both heroine and mother to stalwarts such asRajkumar,M. G. Ramachandran,Sivaji Ganesan. She was the heroine in Rajkumar's debut movieBedara Kannappa and also Sivaji's debut movieParasakthi.[5][3][6] She has acted in over 1,000 films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.[7] Bai was honoured byKalaimamani from theTamil Nadu government.[8]
Pandaribai began her career in acting in plays based on mythological stories before making her film debut in 1943 with theKannada language film,Vani. She appeared in the 1954 Kannada filmBedara Kannappa oppositeRajkumar. In the film, she played Neela, wife of Kanna (played by Rajkumar), a hunter. She established herself as a lead actress portraying a woman with a "progressive" image assuming the burdens of a feudal patriarchy in films such asSant Sakhu (1955) andRayara Sose (1957).[4] In 1959, she appeared inAbba Aa Hudugi, with her sisterMynavathi. The film is considered a landmark in Kannada cinema.[9]
Later in her career Pandari Bai played the mother of stars older than her, most of whom had played the lead with her in her earlier years.[10]
