G. Varalakshmi

This article is about the Telugu actress. For other meanings including other actress, see Varalakshmi.

G. Varalakshmi
Varalakshmi in c. 1951
Born	Garikapati Varalakshmi 27 September 1926 Ongole, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died	26 November 2006(2006-11-26) (aged 80)
Occupation	Actress
Spouse(s)	K. S. Prakash Rao
Children	K. Raghavendra Rao (step-son)

Garikapati Varalakshmi (27 September 1926 – 26 November 2006) was an Indian actress, stage artist, singer, and director who worked in Telugu and Tamil films.

Biography

Varalakshmi was born in 1926 in Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India to a Telugu Kapu family. She left home to act on stage in Vijayawada when she was 11 years old. She acted along with stage actors Thungala Chalapathi and Dasari Kotiratnam and became popular for her roles in plays like Sakkubai and Rangoon Rowdy.

Her first two movie roles aged 14 were in Barrister Parvatheesam, produced by Raghupathy Prakash, and Bondam Pelli, produced by H. M. Reddy. These two movies were released together as a two-in-one movie. She then moved to Bombay to sing in the chorus for Naushad in 1942. As her career as a singer was not successful, she returned to Madras in 1946. She married the filmmaker and studio-owner K. S. Prakash Rao. Her husband and she acted in and produced a controversial and popular movie, Drohi in which she played the part of an arrogant daughter.

Drohi was followed by popular movies like Kula Gotralu, Kanna Talli and Pelli Chesi Choodu in which she acted with all the top heroes of Indian films of the 1940s and 1950s in Telugu and Tamil, playing roles ranging from the loving woman and arrogant sister to the mother-in-law. She also directed a social movie, Moogajeevulu. She got involved in politics and supported M.G.R for a short time and was an active member of Andhra Pradesh Praja Natya Mandali. She was the mother of two children, one daughter Kovelamudi Kanaka Durga and a son Kovelamudi Siva Prakash who became a famous cameraman. She is also the step-mother of the famous director Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao.

Filmography

Note: The list is not comprehensive.

Actress

1. Barrister Parvateesam (1940)
2. Bondam Pelli (1940)
3. Dakshayagnam (1941)
4. Bhakta Prahlada (1942)
5. Vindhyarani (1948)
6. Drohi (1948)
7. Maya Rambha (1950)
8. Modati Rathri (1950)
9. Sri Lakshmamma Katha (1950)
10. Swapna Sundari (1950)
11. Deeksha (1951)
12. Nirdoshi (1951)
13. Niraparadhi (1951)
14. Manavathi (1952)
15. Pelli Chesi Choodu (1952)
16. Kanna Talli (1953)
17. Naa Chellelu (1953)
18. Paropakaram (1953)
19. Jyoti (1954)
20. Maa Gopi (1954)
21. Menarikam (1954)
22. Gulebakavali (1955)
23. Ante Kavali (1955)
24. Melukolupu (1956)
25. Paasavalai (1956)
26. Naan Petra Selvam (1956)
27. Dongallo Dora (1957)
28. Aaravalli (1957)
29. Karpurakarasi (1957)
30. Pathini Deivam (1957)
31. Raja Nandini (1958)
32. Sampoorna Ramayanam (1958)
33. Dongalunnaru Jagratha (1958)
34. Mangalya Balam (1958)
35. Sri renuka devi mahatyam (1960)
36. Sivagami (1960)
37. Iddaru Mitrulu (1961)
38. Kula Gothralu (1962)
39. Bhishma (1962)
40. Sumangali (1965)
41. Antastulu (1965)
42. Veerabhimanyu (1965)
43. Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum (1965)
44. Aata Bommalu (1966)
45. Aastiparulu (1966)
46. Letha Manasulu (1966)
47. Bangaru Pichika (1967)
48. Rahasyam (1967)
49. Amayakudu (1968)
50. Bangaru Sankelu (1968)
51. Buddhimanthudu (1969)
52. Nindu Hrudayalu (1969)
53. Pavitra Bandham (1971)
54. Vazhaiyadi Vazhai(1972)
55. Samsaram Sagaram (1973)
56. Doctor Babu (1973)
57. Ganga Manga (1973)
58. Chakravakam (1974)
59. Athavarillu (1976)
60. Sri Rajeswari Vilas Coffee Club (1976)
61. Mahatmudu (1976)
62. Gorantha Deepam (1978)
63. Sirimalle Navvindi (1980)

Director

1. Moogajeevulu (1968)

External links

• G. Varalakshmi on IMDb
• Maverick Varalakshmi