Bhanumathi: a multi-faceted star of Tamil, Telugu cinema

In the film world, Bhanumathi was a singing superstar of yesteryears, a senior who commanded the respect of icons Sivaji Ganesan and  M.G. Ramachandran. But she was, and remains, much more than that. Born in a family of modest means but blessed with prodigious talent, Bhanumathi, whose birth centenary fell on September 7, was a feminist icon who lived by her own rules, even as other female stars had to conform to a male-dominated world. Many incidents testified to her individuality, which stemmed from the confidence she had in her talents.

Own method of acting

“I started thinking about evolving my own acting method while acting in Sorgha Seema [Telugu]. I can give life to the character only when I understand my role. It is inappropriate that directors who have no experience in acting insist on following their direction. Each one possesses a style,” Bhanumathi says in her biography Tharaiku  Vantha Tharagai, penned by Thanjavur Kavirayar. She had a clear idea of not only acting but also every aspect of film-making. She directed and produced 16 films, wrote screenplays, dialogues, and scripts, and also sang and composed music. An accomplished writer, Bhanumathi won the Andhra Pradesh Sahitya Akademi Award for her short story collection Atthagari Kathalu, which was published in Tamil as Mamiyar Kathaigal. She was the first South Indian woman director. Chandirani, her first directorial debut, was made in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. It was her writing talent that persuaded producers and directors to radically change the storylines of the films in which she was cast. “Like a bulldozer, I turned around the story to create a strange character,” she says about the changes she made in Maya Miruga, a Bengali film that was adapted into Tamil as Annai by AVM. She also acknowledges the cooperation extended by directors of the film Krishnan and Panju. The film was a box-office hit and ran for 100 days. Bhanumathi was also generous in her praise for director Bhim Singh, who used to write her Tamil dialogues in Telugu, which made her delivery easy and powerful.

Born at Doddavaram in Andhra Pradesh, Bhanumathi acted in the Telugu film Vara Vikrayam in the role of Kalindhi, a musically talented girl, when she was just 13. The film, highlighting the dowry system, was directed and produced in Calcutta by C. Pulliah, a friend of her father  Venkatasubbiah. In her biography, Bhanumathi says she was more interested in attending school than in acting after her first film. But Pulliah was keen on casting her in a leading role in Malathi  Madhavam. “I told my father that we should go home at once. I also told him to convey my decision to Pulliah. I rushed to the room and plunged my face onto a pillow. I was overcome with tears and anger,” she says.

Spontaneous and extemporaneous

Her career soared in the 1940s with the success of films, including Bhaktimala, which was celebrated for her songs, and Krishna Prema. “She had spontaneity and was extemporaneous. She would write scripts for films, and our house would be full of script papers penned by mother,” recalled Bharani R. Paluvai, her only son and doctor by qualification, who spent many years in the U.S. It was during the making of Krishna Prema that she fell in love with a talented but quiet assistant director  Ramakrishna. She married him when she was 18, despite objections from her father. After a short break — during which she had quit acting to become a housewife, with a commitment typical of Bhanumathi — she resumed her film career.

It was Ramakrishna’s aunt (Periyamma) who convinced him to allow Bhanumathi to continue her career, arguing that her singing talents were god’s gift. “You are also in the film world. Is it a shameful occupation? I would give anything for her singing capabilities,”  Bhanumathi recalled Periyamma as saying. She also acted in a few Hindi films, and her first, Nishaan, was a jubilee hit. Her pairing with MGR in Ali Babavum Narpadhu Thirudargalum (the first Gevacolour picture), Malaikallan, Madurai Veeran, and Nadodi Mannan became iconic. The duet, “Summa Kidantha Nilathai Kothi”, in Nadodi Mannan announced MGR’s political ideology and ambitions. Her leading roles in Sivaji Ganesan-starrers such as Rangoon Radha, Ambikapathy, and Arivali were celebrated for their stories and songs. In Ambikapathy, she rendered the iconic songs, including “Masila Nilave Nam Kathalai” and “Kannile Iruppathenna Kanni Ilam Maaney”. The song, “Azhagana  Ponnu Naan”, echoed all over Tamil Nadu. In Annai, she rendered another famous number, “Poovagi Kaayagi Kanitha Maram Ondru”.

“She sang all the songs in her films. She also made it a point of including at least one keerthana of Thyagaraja in her films, particularly in Telugu films. ‘Nagumomu’, ‘Vandanamu Raghunandana’, and ‘Pakkala Nilabadi’ are some of the Thyagaraja keerthanas popularised by her in films,” said Mr. Bharani, who has returned from the U.S. to run the Bharani Studio, set up by his parents. For Bhanumathi, self-respect prevailed over all other considerations. She quit Missiamma as she felt she was not treated with respect by Vahini Studios. “But for my quitting, Tamil cinema would not have gained a great talent like Savithri,” she says without regret.

An expert in astrology, Bhanumathi predicted that MGR would scale great heights and achieve fame after reading his palms. At a function organised by the film industry to felicitate him, MGR recalled  Bhanumathi’s prediction. Later, she was appointed the Principal of the Music College of Madras. Despite her popularity, Bhanumathi shunned the limelight. President S. Radhakrishnan urged her to contest from the Ongole Lok Sabha constituency in 1968. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Brahmananda Reddy backed his proposal. But she declined. “My husband said that in politics, one day you get garlands and the next day stones. We wrote to Dr. Radhakrishnan, politely rejecting his proposal,” she says.