Anjali Devi

Biography:

Anjali Devi was an Indian actress, model, and producer who worked in Telugu and Tamil cinema from August 24, 1927, to January 13, 2014. She was well-known for her roles as Suvarna Sundari, Chenchu Lakshmi, and Anarkali, as well as for playing the Devi Sita in Lava Kusa.

In 1948, she got married to music director P. Adinarayana Rao. Chennai became their new home. Two sons are born to them. Under the name Anjali Pictures, they collaborated to make a large number of Telugu movies. Saila Rao, their granddaughter, is an actor as well.

On January 13, 2014, at Vijaya Hospital in Chennai, Devi passed away at the age of 86 after a cardiac arrest. She gave Ramachandra Medical College her organs.

In the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India, at Peddapuram, Anjali Devi was born as Anjamma. When she started performing in dramas, she adopted the name Anjani Kumari. Later, Anjali Devi was her new name, given by director C. Pullaiah.

Prior to entering the film industry, she performed in plays. In 1936, she made her screen debut as Lohitasva in “Raja Harishchandra”. Her debut role as a heroine was in L. V. Prasad’s 1940 film Kashtajeevi, which was canceled after three reels of filming.

She was later spotted by C. Pullayya, who offered her the chance to play Mohini in the 1947 film Gollabhama. In 1947, her good looks and talent for acting made her an overnight celebrity.

Ultimately, she performed in over 350 movies, most of them were Telugu productions with a small number of Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada movies in which she played the lead or a supporting part.

In 1963, she acted in the landmark Telugu film Lava Kusa, which was also the first color picture in the business. In addition to her well-known role as Sita in Lava Kusa, she received praise for her roles in the movies Anarkali and Suvarna Sundari.

Her final few roles were in Brundavanam (1992), Anna Vadina (1993), and Police Alludu (1994). She had an appearance with Brahmanandam in Balaiah’s Police Alludu and Anna Vadina. She performed as a damsel, an angel, a dancer, a demon, a goddess, a conventional lady, and eventually as a mother.