G. Varalakshmi, born Garikapati Varalaxmi (27 September 1926 â€" 26
November 2006), was a veteran Telugu and Tamil actress, stage artist,
singer and director. She is well remembered for her arrogant roles in
movies like Drohi and Letha Manasulu.Varalakshmi was born in 1926 in
Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India to a Telugu Kapu family. She left home
to act on stage in Vijayawada when she was 11 years old. She acted
along with stage actors Thungala Chalapathi and Dasari Kotiratnam and
became popular for her roles in plays like Sakkubai and Rangoon
Rowdy.Her first two movie roles aged 14 were in Barrister
Parvatheesam, produced by Raghupathy Prakash, and Bondam Pelli,
produced by H. M. Reddy. These two movies were released together as a
two-in-one movie. She then moved to Bombay to sing in the chorus for
Naushad in 1942. As her career as a singer was not successful, she
returned to Madras in 1946. She married the filmmaker and studio-owner
Kovelamudi Surya Prakash Rao. Her husband and she acted in and
produced a controversial and popular movie, Drohi in which she played
the part of an arrogant daughter.Drohi was followed by popular movies
like Kula Gotralu, Kanna Talli and Pelli Chesi Choodu in which she
acted with all the top heroes of Indian films of the 1940s and 1950s
in Telugu and Tamil, playing roles ranging from the loving woman and
arrogant sister to the mother-in-law. She also directed a social
movie, Moogajeevulu. She got involved in politics and supported M.G.R
for a short time and was an active member of Andhra Pradesh Praja
Natya Mandali. She was the mother of two children, one daughter
Kovelamudi Kanaka Durga and a son Kovelamudi Siva Prakash who became a
famous cameraman. She is also the step-mother of the famous director
Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao.
November 2006), was a veteran Telugu and Tamil actress, stage artist,
singer and director. She is well remembered for her arrogant roles in
movies like Drohi and Letha Manasulu.Varalakshmi was born in 1926 in
Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, India to a Telugu Kapu family. She left home
to act on stage in Vijayawada when she was 11 years old. She acted
along with stage actors Thungala Chalapathi and Dasari Kotiratnam and
became popular for her roles in plays like Sakkubai and Rangoon
Rowdy.Her first two movie roles aged 14 were in Barrister
Parvatheesam, produced by Raghupathy Prakash, and Bondam Pelli,
produced by H. M. Reddy. These two movies were released together as a
two-in-one movie. She then moved to Bombay to sing in the chorus for
Naushad in 1942. As her career as a singer was not successful, she
returned to Madras in 1946. She married the filmmaker and studio-owner
Kovelamudi Surya Prakash Rao. Her husband and she acted in and
produced a controversial and popular movie, Drohi in which she played
the part of an arrogant daughter.Drohi was followed by popular movies
like Kula Gotralu, Kanna Talli and Pelli Chesi Choodu in which she
acted with all the top heroes of Indian films of the 1940s and 1950s
in Telugu and Tamil, playing roles ranging from the loving woman and
arrogant sister to the mother-in-law. She also directed a social
movie, Moogajeevulu. She got involved in politics and supported M.G.R
for a short time and was an active member of Andhra Pradesh Praja
Natya Mandali. She was the mother of two children, one daughter
Kovelamudi Kanaka Durga and a son Kovelamudi Siva Prakash who became a
famous cameraman. She is also the step-mother of the famous director
Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao.
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