Thanjavur Radhakrishnan Rajayee (5 May 1922 – 20 September 1999), better known by her screen name T. R. Rajakumari, was an Indian actress, Carnatic singer and dancer. She has been called the first "dreamy girl" of Tamil cinema.

Film career

Rajayee made her film debut in ''Kumara Kulothungan'', which was produced in 1938–39 but was released in 1941 after ''Kacha Devayani''. In the initial ads, her name appeared as T. R. Rajayee, but later in the film, she was credited as T. R. Rajalakshmi. Her second film, ''Mandharavathi'', directed by D.S. Marconi, was also released in 1941. ''Kacha Devayani'' (1941) was a hit and helped launch her career in movies. There is some confusion about which film she actually made her debut in, as the director of ''Kacha Devayani K. Subramaniam, later insisted that he was the one who introduced her to films. In 1944, Rajakumari starred in the record-breaking film '' Haridas'' alongside M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and gained recognition for her glamorous portrayal. In her Tamil film career, Rajakumari acted as the female lead opposite many major film stars, including Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, T. R. Mahalingam, K. R. Ramasamy, P. U. Chinnappa,

M. G. Ramachandran Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 – 24 December 1987), popularly known by his initialism M.G.R. and as Makkal Thilagam/Puratchi Thalaivar, was an Indian actor, politician, and philanthropist who served as the chief minister of ...

and

Sivaji Ganesan Villupuram. Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001), better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, was an Indian actor and film producer. He was mainly active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th centur ...

. She also started a film production company (with her brother T. R. Ramanna) called "R. R. Pictures" and produced films like ''Vaazhapirandhavan'' (1953), '' Koondukkili'' (1954), '' Gul-E-Bagaavali'' (1955), '' Paasam'' (1962), '' Periya Idathu Penn'' (1963), '' Panam Padaithavan'' (1965) and '' Parakkum Paavai'' (1966). Her last film as an actress was '' Vanambadi'' (1963).

Later life and death

Rajakumari died on 20 September 1999 after a prolonged illness.

Partial filmography

Discography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rajakumari, T. R. 1922 births 1999 deaths Tamil actresses Musicians from Thanjavur district Actors from Thanjavur district Actresses in Tamil cinema Singers from Tamil Nadu Dancers from Tamil Nadu Women Carnatic singers Indian female dancers 20th-century Indian actresses 20th-century Indian dancers Carnatic singers Indian women classical singers 20th-century Indian women singers 20th-century Indian singers Women musicians from Tamil Nadu