T. Krishna Kumari (6 March 1933 – 24 January 2018) was an Indian actress. She worked predominantly in Telugu films, in addition to Tamil and Kannada films in the 1950s and 1960s. She was the sister of noted actress Sowkar Janaki.
She starred in over 150 films in her career, most notably Pichi Pullayya (1953), Bangaru Papa (1955), Vinayaka Chaviti (1957), Pelli Kanuka (1960), Devanthakudu (1960), Bharya Bhartalu (1961), Vagdanam (1961), Kula Gotralu (1962), Chaduvukunna Ammayilu (1963), Bandipotu (1963), Punarjanma (1963 film), Aggi Pidugu (1964), Doctor Chakravarty (1964), Gudi Gantalu (1964), Antastulu (1965), Chikkadu Dorakadu (1967),Tikka Sankarayya (1968), Neramu Siksha (1973).
Early life Krishna Kumari was born on 6 March 1933 in a Kannadiga Madhva Brahmin family in Naihati, West Bengal to T. Venkoji Rao and Sachi Devi. Her family hails from Udupi, Karnataka but settled in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh for her father's business. Owing her father's work, Kumari was schooled at Rajahmundry, Madras, Assam and Calcutta. She completed her matriculation is Assam. Her sister, Sowkar Janaki is also an actress.
Career T. Krishna Kumari started her career at the age of 17 with a small role in the Telugu film Pathala Bhairavi (1951). She later played the role of a heroine for the first time in Navvite Navaratnalu (1951). She featured as leading actress in several Tamil movies, notably Thirumbi Paar (1953), Manithan (1953), Azhagi (1953), Pudhu Yugam (1954), Viduthalai (1954) and Thuli Visham (1954).
Krishna Kumari then began to focus on Telugu cinema, which propelled her to stardom. Her movies Pelli Meeda Pelli (1959), Bharya Bhartalu (1961), Vagdanam (1961), Kulagothralu (1962), Gudi Gantalu (1964) remain some of Telugu cinema's classics.
In the early 1960s, Krishna Kumari entered the Kannada film industry briefly, choosing to return to her preferred Telugu cinema within years. But in the short span of 5–6 years, she gave memorable performances, most of them co-starring Dr. Rajkumar. In fact, her first ever award was for the Rajkumar starrer, Bhaktha Kanakadasa (1960).
In Hindi, she acted in Kabhi Andhera Kabhi Ujala (1958). She was rechristened Rati but again, Hindi cinema held no attraction for Krishna Kumari. Although she had several offers in Hindi cinema, she returned to Madras. Her most successful movies have been with Akkineni Nageswara Rao, N. T. Rama Rao and also several mythological roles with Kantha Rao.
Krishna Kumari acted in 150 Telugu films, and about 30 Tamil and Kannada films. Her repertoire won her fans across Telugu states and the President's Award. Her co-stars include N.T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Krishnam Raju, Dr. Rajkumar, Sivaji Ganesan, Kanta Rao, and Jaggayya.
Personal life and death In 1969, Krishna Kumari married Ajay Mohan Khaitan, a businessman and journalist who had previously served as Editor of the Indian Express and was the founder of two magazines, Screen and Businessman. Ajay Mohan Khaitan had previously been married to another lady also named Krishna, who was the daughter of Ramnath Goenka, founder and owner of The Indian Express. By his previous marriage, Ajay Mohan Khaitan was the father of two sons, including Vivek, who was adopted by Ramnath Goenka and given the name Viveck Goenka; he is presently running The Indian Express.
After marriage, Krishna Kumari chose to step away from the arclights and moved to her husband's farmhouse near Bangalore, where she devoted herself to her family and developed her interests in cooking and gardening. Krishna Kumari and Khaitan had a daughter, Dipika; according to some reports, Dipika was adopted by the couple. Dipika married Vikram Maiya, the son of the Maiya family which owns the famous MTR restaurant in Bangalore and the MTR brand of ready-to-eat foods.
Ajay Mohan Khaitan died in 2012 aged 85. Krishna Kumari continued to live at her farmhouse in Bangalore with her daughter, son-in-law and grandson. Krishna Kumari died on 24 January 2018, in Bangalore from bone marrow cancer.
Filmography-Telugu & Tamil Year Title Role(s) Notes 1951 Pathala Bhairavi Gandharva Kanya Uncredited role Navvite Navaratnalu Gowri Mantra Dandam Bhavani 1952 Priyuralu 1953 Pichi Pullayya Kantham 1954 Bangaru Papa Papa 1956 Ilavelpu 1957 Vinayaka Chaviti Rukmini Veera Kankanam Rajini Vaddante PelliVidyavathi 1958 Raja Nandini 1959 Sathi Sukanya Sukanya 1959 Sati Tulasi 1960 Deepavali Rukmini Devi Pelli Kanuka Geeta Abhimanam Kamala Bhatha Sabari Nithya Kalyanam Pacha Thoranam Chand Santhi Nivasam Raagini 1961 Bharya Bhartalu Sharada Vagdanam Vijaya 1962 Kula Gothralu Saroja Aasa JeevuluSimultaneously Telugu and Tamil1963 Chaduvukunna Ammayilu Vasantha Lakshadhikari Padma Punarjanma Radha Sri Tirupatamma Katha Tirupatamma Irugu Porugu Chitra / Jikki Aapta Mitrulu Vimala Bandipotu Mandaramala 1964 Doctor Chakravarthy Dr. Sridevi Gudi Gantalu Kasthuri Marmayogi Prabhavathi Peetala Meeda Pelli Aggi Pidugu Malathi Sri Satyanarayana Mahathyam Ratnavalli Sabhash Suri Jalaja Kalavari Kodalu Latha 1965 Antastulu Mala Sri Simhachala Kshetra Mahima Apsarasa Sirisha Uyyala Jampala 1966 Sri Krishna Tulabharam Jambavathi Chilaka Gorinka K. Usha Devi Paduka PattabhishekamSeetha Zamindar Saroja 1967 Chikkadu Dorakadu Padmavathi Devi Iddaru Monagallu Sri Krishnavataram Lakshana Ummadi Kutumbam Sarada Pedda Akkayya Vasantha Sena Vasantha Sena Punyavathi Santhi Bhuvana Sundari Katha Bhuvana Sundari Rahasyam Rajyalakshmi 1968 Vara Katnam Sujatha Tikka Sankarayya Suseela Nindu Samsaram Jyothi Pedarasi Peddamma Katha Nagakanya 1971 Sampoorna Ramayanam Mandodari Varalakshmi Vratam 1972 Manavudu Danavudu Bharya Biddalu Suseela 1973 Neramu Siksha 1974DevadasuUttama IllaluGowri1975 Yashoda Krishna Devaki Gunavanthudu Zamindarugari AmmayiLakshmi1976Padi PantaluKamala Jyothi Vishali AlludochaduManikyamma mother of Saroja (Jayasudha) Secretary Dr. Vijayalakshmi 1978PatnavasamParvathi1980BebbuliYashoda1982Bangaru BhoomiRavi's step mother 2003 Fools Special appearance
Filmography-Other Languages +Year TitleRoleLanguage1953Thirumbi PaarTamil1953AzhagiTamil1953ManithanTamil1954Pudhu YugamTamil1954ViduthalaiTamil1954Thuli VishamTamil1954KarkottaiTamil1958Kabhi Andhera Kabhi Ujala RatiHindi1960UmmaMalayalam1961Sampoorna RamayanaMandodariHindi1954JaladurgaKannada1960Bhakta KanakadasaKannada1960Aasha SundariHemaKannada1960DashavatharaKannada1961Shri Shaila MahathmeKannada1962Swarna GowriKannada1962Mahathma KabirKannada1962Thendral VeesumTamil & Telugu1963ChandrakumaraKannada1965Sathi SavithriSavitriKannada1968Uyira MaanamaRussian womanTamil & Telugu1968Namma OoruKannada1976Hosilu Mettida HennaAkkaKannada1977DeepaShanthakkaKannada
In popular culture Krishna Kumari was portrayed by actress Pranitha Subhash in the 2019 biographical film NTR: Kathanayakudu, based on the real life and acting career of N. T. Rama Rao.
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