'''Kanchanmala (1923-81)'''


Telugu actress born in coastal AP. Stage star in
Telugu; then entered cinema at [[Sagar]] Studio,
Bombay, with a minor role in Veer Abhimanyu.
After her 2nd film, at Calcutta’s [[Aurora]],
[[Ahindra Choudhury]]’s Vipranarayana, broke
through in [[H.M. Reddy]]’s [[Grihalakshmi]],
where her sexually charged performance as the
dancer Madhuri next to [[Kannamba]]’s role as
the suffering wife solicited a kind of male
voyeurism later exploited in [[Vauhini]]’s 40s
socials. Played the victimised wife in 
[[B.N. Reddi]]’s nationalist [[Vande Mataram]]; also
appeared in reformist socials by e.g.
[[Ramabrahmam]] ([[Malapilla]], Illalu) and sang
duets with composer Ogirala in [[Y.V. Rao]]’s
Malli Pelli. Played the major role of the
wicked stepmother in Gemini’s
[[Balangamma]], after which a legal dispute with
the studio boss [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.S._Vasan|S.S. Vasan]] effectively put her
career in limbo for almost a decade. Her acting
style was later extended by stars like Kamala
Kotnis and [[Bhanumati]].


'''
FILMOGRAPHY:''' 1935: Shri Krishna
Tulabharam; 1936: Veer Abhimanyu; 1937:
Vipranarayana; 1938: Grihalakshmi;
Malapilla; 1939: Vande Mataram; Malli
Pelli; 1940: Mahiravana; Illalu; 1942:
Balanagamma; 1963: Nartanasala.

[[Actor]]