K. Thavamani Devi (c. 1925 – 10 February 2001) was a

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

n actress who also worked in a number of

Tamil films 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' ...

during the 1940s. Born and brought up in a wealthy family in

Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...

her father was a successful barrister. Encouraged by parents, Thavamani moved to

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

, India at an early age. She was from

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

heritage. During her time in Madras, she learnt

Bharata Natyam Bharatanatyam () is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms, and expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of ...

and

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...

, which helped her sing her own lines in many Tamil films. owing to her singing talents won her the honorific "Ceylon Kuyil" ( en, (lit.) Ceylon Cuckoo). She was

MGR M. G. Ramachandran (1917–1987) was the Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. MGR may also refer to: * ManaGeR (MGR), graphical window system * Merry-go-round train, British freight-train design Mgr. is an honorific or abbreviation for: * Manager ...

's heroine in ''

Rajakumaari ''Rajakumari'' () is a 1947 Indian Tamil language film directed by A. S. A. Sami, starring M. G. Ramachandran (credited as Ramachandar) and K. Malathi. It was released on 11 April 1947. Plot Cast ;Male cast * M. G. Ramachandar as Sukum ...

'' (1947). Some of the other films that she did in Tamil include ''

Shakuntala Shakuntala (Sanskrit: ''Śakuntalā'') is the wife of Dushyanta and the mother of Emperor Bharata. Her story is told in the '' Adi Parva'' of the ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata'' and dramatized by many writers, the most famous adaption bein ...

'', ''

Vana Mohini ''Vana Mohini'' is a 1941 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Bhagwan. The film stars Srilankan actress K. Thavamani Devi and M. K. Radha. Additionally, an elephant played an important role in the film. Plot The story is about a tribal gi ...

'', ''Naatiya Rani'', ''Krishna Kumar'' and ''Bhakta Kaalathi''

Later Years

She married a widower, Kodilinga Sankara Sastry of

Rameshwaram Rameswaram (; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilo ...

, in November 1962 and retired to a spiritual life.MGR Remembered series by Sachi Sri Kantha, August 2013
"I married a widower Kodilinga Sastri in November 1962, and live here now forgetting my past connection to the movie world."

References

1920s births 2001 deaths 20th-century Sri Lankan actresses Actresses in Tamil cinema People from Jaffna Sri Lankan film actresses Sri Lankan Tamil women {{Asia-actor-stub