Padmini Priyadarshini (later Padmini Ramachandran) was an Indian actor, dancer and choreographer. She acted in supporting roles during the 1950s and 1960s in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. She established a dancing school in Bangalore named ''Natya Priya'' and trained students in dancing. In 2013, she received Shantala Natya Sri Award from Karnataka Government.

Personal life

Born in

Mavelikkara Mavelikkara is a taluk and municipality in the '' Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in the Indian state of Kerala. Located in the southern part of the district on the banks of the Achankovil River. Etymology The name Mavelikar ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, she was brought up in

Chennai 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 ...

. She learned dancing from

Vazhuvoor B. Ramaiyah Pillai Vazhuvoor Ramaiah Pillai (1910–1991) was an Indian Bharatanatyam dance teacher and choreographer. Early life Vazhuvoor Bagyathammal Ramaiah Pillai was born in 1910 to Parthiban and Bagyathammal in Vazhuvoor. He learned the arts of Nattuva ...

. Padmini Priyadarshini was married to Ramachandran from

Thalassery Thalassery (), formerly Tellicherry, is a municipality, Commercial City on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, in the state of Kerala, India, bordered by the List of districts of India, districts of Mahé, India, Mahé (Pondicherry), Kozhikode ...

and the couple had 3 sons and 1 daughter.

Career

She established a dancing school in

Bangalore Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...

. She has performed dance concerts with her students in countries like

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. She was appointed as its Head when Karnataka government formed the 'Education Board'.

Notable films

* ''

Sahodhari ''Sahodari'' (also written as ''Sahodhari'') () is a 1959 Indian Tamil language film directed by A. Bhimsingh, starring K. Balaji, Rajasulochana, Prem Nazir, Devika and J. P. Chandrababu. It was released on 11 December 1959. Plot Pazhani h ...

'' (1959) *'' Paadha Kaanikkai'' (1962) * ''

Life of Pi ''Life of Pi'' is a Canadian philosophical novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist is Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, India who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age. He ...

'' (2012)

Partial filmography

(in Alphabetical order)

English and French

Life of Pi (film) ''Life of Pi'' is a 2012 adventure-drama film directed and produced by Ang Lee and written by David Magee. Based on Yann Martel's 2001 novel of the same name, it stars Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Tabu and Adil Hussain in lead r ...

Hindi

# '' Dil Hi To Hai'' # '' Do Behnen'' (1959)

Kannada

# '' Bettada Kalla'' # '' Bhakta Markandeya'' # ''

Jagajyothi Basveshwara ''Jagajyothi Basveshwara'' is a 1959 Indian Kannada-language film directed by T. V. Singh Thakur featuring actors Honnappa Bhagavatar, Rajkumar, K. S. Ashwath, B. Saroja Devi, Narasimharaju, Balakrishna in pivotal roles. The film is based on ...

'' # ''

Rayara Sose ''Rayara Sose'' is a 1957 Indian Kannada-language film produced by Pandari Bai and directed by R. Ramamurthy and K. S. Murthy. It stars Rajkumar, Kalyan Kumar, Mynavathi, H. Ramachandra Shastry, Pandari Bai and Ramadevi. The music of the fil ...

Tamil

# '' Annaiyin Aanai'' (Dancer) # '' Baghdad Thirudan'' # ''

Bhaktha Markandeya ''Bhakta Markandeya'' is an Indian Hindu mythological film shot simultaneously in Tamil and Kannada languages by B. S. Ranga with a different supporting cast in each of the versions. Master Anand played the titular role of Markandeya in both the ...

'' (Dancer - Pazhanimalaiyaanai) # ''

Deiva Balam ''Deiva Balam'' () is a 1959 Indian Tamil-language film directed by P. Vasanthakumar Reddy. The film stars K. Balaji and Jayashree. This film is partly coloured by Gevacolor. Plot Cast The following list is compiled from the database of F ...

'' # '' Iru Sagodharigal'' (Dancer) # '' Iruvar Ullam'' # ''

Kuravanji ''Kuravanji'' is a 1960 Indian Tamil language film directed by A. Kasilingam. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan and Savitri. The film, produced by M. Karunanidhi, R. M. Veerappan, and A. Kasilingam, was released on 4 March 1960, and was not a comme ...

'' (Dancer) # '' Maalaiyitta Mangai'' # '' Nenjam Marappathillai'' # '' Paadha Kaanikkai'' # ''

Petra Manam ''Petra Manam'' () is a 1960 Indian Tamil-language film directed by A. Bhimsingh and produced by National Pictures. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, Pushpavalli, S. S. Rajendran and Padmini. It is the Tamil version of the 1953 Telugu film '' Pem ...

'' # '' Rathinapuri Ilavarasi'' # ''

'' # ''

Thamarai Kulam ''Thamarai Kulam'' () is a 1959 Indian Tamil language film directed by Muktha Srinivasan, written by S. R. Natarajan and produced by him along with S. R. Veerabahu. It features Sowcar Janaki, V. Gopalakrishnan, M. R. Radha, N. N. Kannappa, K. ...

'' # ''

Then Nilavu ''Thennilavu'' (; ) is a 1961 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by C. V. Sridhar. The film stars Gemini Ganesan and Vyjayanthimala, with K. A. Thangavelu, M. N. Nambiar, M. Saroja and Vasanthi in supp ...

'' # ''

Vidivelli ''Vidivelli'' () is a 1960 Indian Tamil-language film written and directed by C. V. Sridhar. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, B. Saroja Devi and M. N. Rajam; Ganesan also produced it under Prabhuram Pictures, a subsidiary of his own company Siva ...

'' # '' Bhaaga Pirivinai''

Telugu

# ''

Kalasi Vunte Kaladu Sukham ''Kalasi Vunte Kaladu Sukham'' () is a 1961 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by Y. Rama Krishna Prasad and C. V. R. Prasad under Saradhi Studios and directed by Tapi Chanakya. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Savitri, with music composed ...

'' (Dancer) # ''

Nartanasala Nartanasala may refer to: * Nartanasala (1963 film) ''Nartanasala'' () is a 1963 Indian Telugu-language Hindu mythological film directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao and written by Samudrala Sr. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Savitri, S. V. Ranga ...

'' (

Urvashi Urvashi ( sa, उर्वशी, Urvaśī}) is the most prominent apsara (celestial nymph) in Hindu mythology, considered to be the most beautiful of all the apsaras, and an expert dancer. She is mentioned in both ''Vedic'' and ''Puranic'' scr ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Priyadarshini, Padmini Actresses in Kannada cinema Kannada actresses Actresses in Tamil cinema Indian film actresses 20th-century Indian actresses Actresses in Hindi cinema