Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli (born 1918), known professionally as K. R. Chellam, was an Indian actress who appeared in Tamil language films.
Early life Kambayanatham Rangaswami Kanakavalli was born in 1918 to a middle-class Iyengar family in Thanjavur. She lost her mother at an early age, so her father Rangaswami, a lawyer, raised her along with her two siblings. Chellam, as she was informally known, dropped out of school early, and married a Bombay-based insurance salesman, later settling there with him. The marriage resulted in two daughters. After the family incurred financial losses due to the insurance salesman's mismanagement, they went to Madras almost penniless.
Career
Kanakavalli made her film debut in a minor role in Kausalya (1935) to support her family financially. As working in films was considered taboo in India at that time and she did not want her acquaintances to know she was in that profession, she chose her nickname Chellam as her stage name, though her family ultimately learned the truth. The film became a box office bomb and its production company closed, forcing Chellam to continue as an actress to stay afloat. With help from actress T. N. Meenakshi, she was cast in a bigger role in Madras Mail (1936). This film performed well and got Chellam noticed, resulting in her being cast in Balayogini (1937), also a success. Her next film Vanaraja Karzan (1938) received significant media attention because she wore a revealing outfit. Adrishtam (1939), in which she played a lawyer, established her as an actress of "high merit". She was active in films from 1935 to about 1960. Her last film was Pattaliyin Vetri (1960). As of September 1990, Chellam was living in Madras with one of her daughters, a doctor.
Filmography +YearTitleRole1935Kausalya1936Madras Mail1937BalayoginiSarasa1938Vanaraja KarzanLeela1938Desa Munnetram1939AdrishtamLawyer1941Surya PuthriThapathi1942En ManaiviChellam1943Karaikkal Ammaiyar1944PrabhavathiShakthi1944PoompavaiPonnammal1945MeeraUdha1946LavangiKomalam1947Naam IruvarAmbujam1947Deiva Needhi1948Vedhala UlagamMohanavalli1948Bhaktha Jana1952Thai UllamSanthamma1953JatakamKannammal1954Rajee En KanmaniRaji's aunt1954Vaira Maalai1955Kalvanin Kadhali1956 Mathar Kula Manikkam1957KarpukkarasiSingari1959Aval Yaar1959Orey Vazhi1960Pattaliyin Vetri1960Paavai Vilakku
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