Padmini

Padmini Ramachandran, known simply as Padmini, was an iconic Indian actress and trained Bharatanatyam dancer who appeared in over 250 films across Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Russian language cinema.

She was born on June 12, 1932, in Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram (then Trivandrum), in the princely state of Travancore, now part of Kerala, India. She passed away on September 24, 2006, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, due to a heart attack.

Full Name	Padmini
Other Name(s)	Natiya Peroli, Pappima, Thiruvancore Sisters
Date of Birth	12-June-1932 (74 years)
Birth Location	Trivandrum, Travancore
Gender	Female
Nationality	Indian
Religion	Hindu
Zodiac Sign	Taurus
Death Time	24-September-2006
Death Location	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Height	163 cm
Weight	54 kg
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
School	Padmini School of Fine Arts.
Hobbies	Dancing

She was the second daughter of Sree Thankappan Pillai and Saraswathi Amma, belonging to a Nair family. She grew up in a joint family tharavadu (Malayala Cottage) in Poojappura with her elder sister Lalitha and younger sister Ragini, who were also accomplished film actresses. Collectively, the three sisters were famously known as the "Travancore Sisters".

She began learning classical dance at age four and made her dance debut (arangettam) at age ten. She trained in Bharatanatyam under Thiruvidaimarudur Mahalingam Pillai and also learned Kathakali and Kerala Natanam from Guru Gopinath.

Her entry into films was unexpected. Legendary dancer Uday Shankar saw her perform and invited her to act in his Hindi film "Kalpana" (1948), where she played the dancer at age 16, launching her careers in movies.

er first Tamil film was "Ezhai Padum Padu," released in 1950. Padmini became a leading actress and one of the highest-paid actresses of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, celebrated as one of the charming beauty queens of those decades. She earned the title "Natya Peroli" (Dancing Queen) in Tamil Nadu for her exceptional Bharatanatyam performances in Tamil films.

Her most celebrated film was "Thillana Mohanambal" (1968), a cult classic of Tamil cinema where she portrayed a dancer competing against a musician. This film continues to be remembered today.

In Hindi cinema, her outstanding performance in "Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai" made her a national star. She appeared with Raj Kapoor in two popular Bollywood films - "Mera Naam Joker" and "Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai"—and also starred in "Aashiq" (1962). Other notable Bollywood films include "Amardeep" (1958), "Payal" (1957), "Afsana" (1966), "Vaasna" (1968), "Chanda Aur Bijli" (1969), and Babubhai Mistry's "Mahabharat" (1965).

Prominent Tamil films include "Sampoorna Ramayanam" (1958), "Thanga Padhumai," "Anbu," "Kaattu Roja," "Vietnam Veedu," "Edhir Paradhathu," "Mangayar Thilakam," and "Poove Poochudava". Her popular Malayalam films include "Prasanna," "Snehaseema," "Vivaahitha," "Adhyaapika," "Kumara Sambhavam," "Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu," "Vasthuhara," and "Dolar". She also acted in the Indian-Soviet film "Journey Beyond Three Seas" (Pardesi), playing Lakshmi, a royal dancer.

Padmini Ramachandran starred with many legendary actors including Sivaji Ganesan, M. G. Ramachandran, N. T. Rama Rao, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Rajkumar, Gemini Ganesan, and S. S. Rajendran. She appeared with Sivaji Ganesan in 59 films, and her association with him began with "Panam" in 1952.

Along with Vyjayanthimala, she popularized Indian classical dance in Hindi cinema, which became a prerequisite for Bollywood films during that era. The Travancore Sisters performed at the 1955 Filmfare Awards. She was the first awardee of Kalaimamani, Tamil Nadu's highest civilian award from the Government of Tamil Nadu.

In 1961, at age 29, she married Dr. K. T. Ramachandran, a U.S.-based physician, and immediately retired from films to join him in the United States. She focused on family life and was strongly devoted to her husband in a traditional way, performing all traditional poojas and worship with her husband as the focus.

The couple had one son, Premanandh Ramachandran, born in 1963, who now lives in Hillsdale, New Jersey and works for Warner Brothers.

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