P. A. Periyanayaki

P. A. Periyanayaki Biography

P. A. Periyanayaki was a singer actress of south Indian films in the early talkies. She predominantly worked in Tamil films. A trained Carnatic singer, she took it as profession too, and performed live for music concerts. Her sister P. A. Rajamani has also worked in a few early talkies in the early 1940s. As an actress, she was fully active in Tamil film industry in the 1940s, and was a leading female voice and a supporting actress.

Some of her famous films include - Dharma Veeran (1941), En Manaivi (1942), Manonmani (1942), Panchamirtham (1942), Prabhavathi (1942), Sivalinga Satchi (1942), Mahamaya (1944), Vichitra Vanitha (1947), Vedhala Ulagam (1948), Geetha Gandhi (1949), Krishna Bakthi (1949) and Koondukili (1954). She has also rendered her voice as a playback singer for other actresses in the 1940s and 50s.

She was born on April 14, 1927 in Thiruvadhigai, Panruti, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. Her mother Adhilakshmi was a singer, from whom she took formal music lessons. She had one brother and one sister, and she was youngest among the three. Her mother used to perform music concerts in Sri Lanka where she was settled with three children. When her health deteriorated, they moved back to Chennai.

The sisters got their first film offer through 1940 Tamil film Urvashiyin Kadhal. Both the siblings got acting roles, while Periyanayaki rendered her voice for one song too. It was her first experience with cinema, and very soon she turned a successful singer actress of the era, when females were not so active in the field.

She continued working in films, playing lead and supporting roles. As a playback singer, her chance was for the film, Sri Valli in 1945 where she became the ghost voice of the lead actress Rukmini for all its songs. She played female lead in Ekambavanan (1947). By mid-1950s, she said good bye to films. She passed away in 1990.

Published: N/A

Updated: June 28, 2018