T. Kanakam

T. Kanakam Biography

T. Kanakam was a south Indian film actress and singer who predominantly worked in the black and white era of Telugu movies between the 1940s and 1960s. She was a singing actress who featured in many hit films during that period. She received NTR Art Award in 2004. She was a stage actress and worked in All India Radio too. She appeared in films like Gruha Pravesam, Guna Sundari Katha, Keelu Gurram, Raksha Rekha, Patala Bhairavi, Dasi, Letha Manasulu, Bhakta Prahlada etc, and majority of them were social dramas and mythological films.

Kanakam was born in Kharagpur in 1927. She later shifted to Vijayawada. She began her professional career with All India Radio, and started off as a folk singer in her childhood days. Later she joined theatre and has portrayed many memorable roles on stage. Her stint with theatre world paved way to films. As a stage actress some of her noted roles include - Nayakuralu Nagamma in Palnati Yudham and Sri Krishna in Kurukshetram. She has toured across Andhra Pradesh as a member of theatre group and performed as well.

She joined films in 1946, and her debut flick was Gruhapravesam in a supporting role. The movie marked the directorial debut of P.S. Ramakrishna Rao and Akkineni Lakshmi Vara Prasada Rao. Since then Kanakam has been regular in films and starred in movies of NTR, ANR, Krishna, Shobhan Babu etc. Her last film was Bhakta Prahlada released in 1967. After that she retired from films. She lived a long life of 88 years and died in 2015. She had suffered from illness for some period of time.

Published: October 28, 2018

Updated: October 28, 2018