Kali N. Rathnam

Kali N. Rathnam

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Category: Cinema

Kali N. Rathnam Profile

  • Name:
  • Kali N. Rathnam
  • Father:
  • Narayana Padayatchi
  • Mother:
  • Thangathammal
  • Spouse:
  • C. T. Rajakantham

Kali N. Rathnam Biography

Kali N. Rathnam is the screen name of popular comedian of Tamil cinema - Narayana Padaiyatchi Rathnam. He was one of the earliest established comedians of south Indian film screen. He was also an accomplished stage actor. He was married to comedy actress C. T. Rajakantham, and they together formed a great comedy pair onscreen. The popular actor MGR was a protege of Rathnam. Chandrakantha (1936), Uthama Puthiran, Sathi Murali (1940), Sabapathy (1941), Manonmani (1943), Burma Rani and Sri Murugan are some of his memorable films. Ponmudi was his last film. He passed away on August 1950, aged only 52. Popular playback singer Tiruchi Loganathan was his son-in-law. Kali N. Rathnam and C. T. Rajakantham had one daughter.

 

Rathnam was born in 1897 at Malaiyappanallur village of Kumbakonam in Tanjore District in Tamil Nadu. He was born into a family of agriculturists. Narayana Padayatchi and Thangathammal were his parents. He got attached to the folk songs and dances of the rural villages since he was very young. He got guidance in acting from Parameswaran Iyer. He also joined theatre at a very young age. He used to play mythological characters for stage plays and in one such play, when he portrayed Goddess Kali with full energy, his guru rechristened him as Kali N. Rathnam. That’s how ‘Kali’ tag got added to his name.

 

In 1923, he joined Madurai Original Boys Company, under which he continued with his plays. When it produced movies in the 1930s, Rathnam got his first break to movies through Pathi Bhakthi (1936). It was the first movie produced by the company. Chandrakantha released the same year was his first hit film. He was associated with film industry for almost 15 years till his death in 1950.  

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Updated: January 30, 2016

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