Ganthimathi (30 August 1940 – 9 September 2011) was a Tamil stage and film actress. She acted in over 500 films.
Early life
Kanthimathi was born in
Manamadurai
Manamadurai is a Municipality Town in Sivaganga district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Manamadurai falls under Manamadurai Legislative assembly.
Upgradation of Manamadurai to Municipality
Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru made ...
in the then
Ramanathapuram district
Ramanathapuram District, also known as Ramnad District, is one of the 38 districts an administrative districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The old Ramanathapuram District consists of Present day Virudhunagar
Virudhunagar is a c ...
of
India. She started acting in dramas and entered films at the age of eleven.
Career
The role which got her noticed was the portrayal of Mayil's mother in ''
16 Vayathinile''. Other important Tamil films in which she acted include ''
Mann Vasanai
''Mann Vasanai'' () is a 1983 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Bharathiraja. Starring debutants Pandiyan and Revathi, with Vinu Chakravarthy, Ganthimathi, and Y. Vijaya in supporting roles, the film was a blockbuster, a ...
'', ''
Muthu'' and ''
Karagattakaran
''Karakattakkaran'' () is a 1989 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy dance film written and directed by Gangai Amaran. The film stars Ramarajan and debutant Kanaka, while Santhana Bharathi, Chandrasekhar, Goundamani, Senthil, Shanmugasunda ...
''. She was awarded the
Kalaimamani Award
The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of ...
by the
Government of Tamil Nadu
Government of Tamil Nadu is the subnational government for the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is seated at Fort St George, Chennai. The legislature of Tamil Nadu was bicameral until 1986, when it was replaced by a unicameral legislature, lik ...
for her contribution to
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
.
She acted as mother and grandmother almost to all actors and actresses like M.G.R, Rajinikanth, Kamalhassan, Vijaykanth, Sathyaraj, Prabhu, Vijay, Revathi, Radha, Ambika, Radhika, etc. Other actors or actresses cannot utter the non-lexical filler proverbs like "Chithada kalli viragu odaika ponalam kathala mullu kothoda kuthidichan" (When a lazy girl is forced to go for the work of cutting the firewood she may complain that aloe vera thorns poked her in a bunch) like she could.
Partial filmography
1940s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
TV Series
* 2004-2007 My Dear Bhootham as Moosa's Grandmother (
Sun TV)
* 2004-2007
Kalki
Kalki ( sa, कल्कि), also called Kalkin or Karki, is the prophesied tenth and final incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is described to appear in order to end the Kali Yuga, one of the four periods in the endless cycle of exist ...
(
Jaya TV
Jaya TV HD is a Tamil language satellite television channel based in Chennai, India. Jaya TV HD is also broadcast to the expatriate Tamil community via various media partnerships. Hemant Sahai of HSA had Jaya TV HD as his first client. Jaya TV ...
)
* 2005
Kolangal as Narayanan's sister (
Sun TV)
* 2010-2011
Pondatti Thevai (
Sun TV)
References
*
External links
*
1945 births
2011 deaths
Actresses in Tamil cinema
Actresses from Tamil Nadu
People from Sivaganga district
20th-century Indian actresses
21st-century Indian actresses
Actresses in Tamil television
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