Prathima Devi (9 April 1933 – 6 April 2021) was an Indian actress known for her work in Kannada films. Devi made her debut through the 1947 film '' Krishnaleela''. She starred in the lead role in ''

Jaganmohini Mohini ( Sanskrit: मोहिनी, ') is the Hindu goddess of enchantment. She is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a ''femme fatale'', an enchantress, who maddens lovers and demons, sometimes leading th ...

'' (1951), the first Kannada film to complete 100 days at the box-office. She went on to appear in over 60 films.

Biography

Devi was born as Mohini on 9 April 1933 in Kalladka, a town in the erstwhile South Canara region of

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the ...

(in present-day Karnataka), to Upendra Shenoy and Saraswatibai, as the last of their four children. Devi lost her father when she was four or five years old; the family moved to Mangalore, then to

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

, where her brother-in-law ran a textile business, before settling in Udupi. It was here that Devi got hooked to watching films, with the role of M. S. Subbulakshmi as Naradar in the 1941 Tamil film '' Savithiri'' influencing her deeply in pursuing a career in acting. Devi joined professional theatre at the age of 11 before entering films with '' Krishnaleela'' (1947). In the film, she shared screen with

Kemparaj Urs D. Kemaparaj Urs (5 February 1917 – 18 May 1982) was an Indian freedom fighter, actor, director and producer who worked mainly in the Kannada film industry. His movies in 1940s and 1950s created an impact on the audience. Even before Dr. Ra ...

while also meeting future husband

D. Shankar Singh D. Shankar Singh was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, exhibitor and a freedom fighter during the British rule in India. Singh, along with B. Vittalacharya co-found the "Mahatma Pictures", a production venture in 1946, that ha ...

on its sets. She went on to appear in ''

'' (1951), which became the first Kannada film to complete a 100-day run at the theatres. Her ''Dallali'' (1952) alongside Makeup Subbanna was another major success. Most films she appeared in where produced by her husband under the banner Mahatma Films. Devi had four children: son Rajendra Singh Babu is a film director, Sangram Singh and Jairaj Singh and daughter Vijayalakshmi Singh, an actress and producer. Devi died on 6 April 2021 at her residence in Saraswatipura, Mysore, aged 88.

Filmography

* '' Krishnaleela'' (1947)...Gopi * '' Shiva Parvathi'' (1950) * ''

'' (1951) * ''

Sri Srinivasa Kalyana ''Sri Srinivasa Kalyana'' (), is 1974 Kannada-language Hindu mythological film directed by Vijay. The film which is based on lord Venkateswara, stars Rajkumar, B. Saroja Devi and Manjula. It also featured the first screen appearances of futur ...

'' (1952) * ''Dallali'' (1952) * ''Chanchala Kumari'' (1953) * ''Muttidella Chinna'' (1954) * ''Madiddunnu Maharaya'' (1954) * '' Shivasharane Nambekka'' (1955) * ''Prabhulinga Leele'' (1957) * ''Mangala Sutra'' (1959) * ''

Shivalinga Sakshi ''Shivalinga Sakshi'' (Kannada: ಶಿವಲಿಂಗ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ) is a 1960 Indian Kannada film, directed by D. Shankar Singh and Chandra Mohan and was produced by D. Shankar Singh. The film stars Udaykumar, Prathima Devi and K. S. Ashw ...

'' (1960) * '' Raja Satyavrata'' (1961) * '' Bhakta Chetha'' (1961)...Gowri * ''

Sri Dharmasthala Mahathme ''Sri Dharmasthala Mahathme'' is a 1962 Indian Kannada film directed and produced by D. Shankar Singh. The film stars H. T. Urs, Dikki Madhava Rao, Shamarao and H. R. Shastry in the lead roles. The film has musical score by M. Venkataraju. Ca ...

'' (1962) * '' Paalige Bandadde Panchamrutha'' (1963) * '' Pathala Mohini'' (1965) * '' Nagarahavu'' (1972) * '' Nagakanye'' (1975) * '' Narada Vijaya'' (1980) * '' Bhaari Bharjari Bete'' (1981) * '' Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage'' (1983) * '' Rama Shama Bhama'' (2005)

Awards

* 2001–02: Dr. Rajkumar Award by the Government of Karnataka

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, Prathima 1933 births 2021 deaths People from Udupi district Indian film actresses Actresses in Kannada cinema Kannada actresses 20th-century Indian actresses