Anjali Devi (Telugu: అంజలీదేవి)  pronunciation (help·info); 24 August 1927 – 13 January 2014) is a veteran Telugu & Tamil actress and producer. She is well known for her mythological role as Sita in Lava Kusha and roles in movies like Suvarna Sundari and Anarkali. In Hindi cinema, she is better known for her roles in 'Devta' opposite Gemini Ganeshan and 'Sati Savitri' opposite Mahipal and 'Bhakta Prahlad'. The songs picturised on her like 'Tum gagan ke chandrama ho', 'jeevan dor tumhi sang bandhi', 'kabhi to miloge, jeevan sathi' from 'Sati Savitri' are still quite popular.

Biography

She is from Peddapuram, East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, India, and later settled in Chennai. Anjali Devi was born to Nukayah as Anjani Kumar (birth name) later changed to Anjani Kumari when acting in dramas. Director C. Pullaiah changed her name to Anjali Devi. She was a theater artist before entering into movies. Her film debut was as Lohitasya in Raja Harishchandra in 1936. Her first movie as a heroine was Kashtajeevi by L. V. Prasad In 1940, but that movie was abandoned after three reels shooting. Later, C.Pullayya discovered her and give her the opportunity to star as Mohini in Gollabhama. Based on her acting ability and looks, she became a star overnight in 1947. She eventually acted in more than 350 Telugu films[citation needed] and also in a few Tamil and Kannada films as the heroine.[citation needed]

She married P. Adinarayana Rao, a music director, in 1940. They have two sons. Together, they produced many Telugu films under the banner of Anjali Pictures. She acted in Lava Kusha, a milestone film and the first color film in the Telugu film industry in 1963. She acted in various roles, such as a damsel, angel, dancer, demon, goddess, traditional woman and later in motherly roles. Her granddaughter, Saila Rao, is also an actress. She was an ardent devotee of Sathyasai Baba. She produced a tele-serial on Sathyasai. She died at the age of 86 on 13/01/2014 at vijaya hospital in Chennai. She had donated her organs to Ramachandra Medical College.

Career

As actress

In 1936 she appeared in a minor role in Raja Harishchandra and then played the lead role in L. V. Prasad's Kashtajeevi. She is well known for playing Sita in Lava Kusha and her performances in films like Suvarna Sundari and Anarkali were also appreciated. She has acted in nearly 500 films, which includes Telugu, Tamil and Kannada language films. 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.

As producer

In 1955 she produced the film Anarkali, in which she herself played the lead role of Anarkali, with Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Salim. Then she produced V. Madhusudan Rao's Bhakta Tukaram and Chandipriya. Bollywood and Tollywood actressJayapradha played the lead role in her film Chandipriya alongside Shobhan Babu and Chiranjeevi. As a producer she has produced 27 films.

Awards

Filmfare Awards South

• Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Telugu - Anarkali (1955)
• Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Telugu - Suvarna Sundari (1957)
• Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Telugu - Chenchu Lakshmi (1958)
• Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Telugu - Jayabheri (1959)
• honorary doctorate from nagarjuna university, Guntur.
• She received the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award in 2005 for her lifetime service to the Telugu film industry.
• She was conferred the Ramineni Award in 2006 in the fine arts category.
• She received the prestigious ANR National Award in 2008.

Filmography

Year Film Language Character Remarks

1948 Balaraju Telugu    

1949 Keelu Gurram Telugu Mohini  

1950 Palleturi Pilla Telugu Santha    

Swapna Sundari Telugu Swapna Sundari  

1951 Nirdoshi Telugu Nirmala    

Niraparadhi Tamil      

Sarvadhikari Tamil    

1953 Pakkinti Ammayi Telugu Leela Devi   1

954 Rechukka Telugu Nana    

Sangham Telugu    

1955 Anarkali Telugu Anarkali  

1956 Devta Hindi    

1957 Allauddin Adhbhuta Deepam Telugu Yasmin, the Princess    

Panduranga Mahatyam Telugu Rama    

Suvarna Sundari Telugu    

1958 Chenchu Lakshmi Telugu    

1959 Jayabheri Telugu Manjulavani  

1960 Bhatti Vikramarka Telugu    

1962 Bhishma Telugu Amba  

1963 Lava Kusha Telugu Sita  

1966 Chilaka Gorinka Telugu      

Palnati Yudham Telugu      

Rangula Ratnam Telugu    

1967 Bhakta Prahlada Telugu Leelavati    

Rahasyam Telugu    

1971 Kalyana Mandapam Telugu    

1972 Badi Panthulu Telugu      

Bala Bharatam Telugu      

Tata Manavadu Telugu    

1973 Bhakta Tukaram Telugu Avali Bai    

Jeevana Tarangalu Telugu    

1975 Soggadu Telugu    

1976 Mahakavi Kshetrayya Telugu     1

977 Shri Ram Vanvas Hindi    

1980 Ram Robert Rahim Telugu    

1986 Sri Shirdi Saibaba Mahathyam Telugu    

1987 Srutilayalu Telugu    

1993 Brundavanam Telugu    

1995 Big Boss Telugu    

• Gollabhama
• Kashtajivi
• Chandipriya
• Bhale Krishnudu
• Sati Sakkubai
• Mayalamaari

Tamil movies

• Annai Oru Alayam
• Adutha Veetu Penn
• Manalanae Mangayin Baghyam
• Sarvadhikari (with MGR)
• Kanavane Kankanda Theivam (with Gemini Ganesan)
• Penn (with Vyjayanthimala)
• Mangayarkarasi (with P. U. Chinnappa)
• Marmayogi (with MGR as hero)
• Eezai Uzavan
• Adiththan Kanavu (producer: T. R. Sundaram)
• Sorgavasal (as K.R. Ramasamy's sister "Thilagavathy")

As producer

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