Surabhi Kamalabai (b. 1913)

Telugu actress born in the famed ​Surabhi Theatres troupe of AP: her mother developed labour pains during a show, absented herself briefly and then the troupe presented the newly born infant to the audience. Kamalabai became a top actress with Surabhi; film début when ​H.M. Reddy hired the troupe for Telugu cinema’s first sound film, ​Bhakta Prahlada. Worked in the Telugu films of the ​Sagar Studio (Bombay) and East India Film? (Calcutta). Also in the film version of ​Bellari Raghava’s stage classic ​Draupadi Manasamrakshanam. Starred alongside ​C.S.R. Anjaneyulu in the Saint film, Tukaram. Later acted middle-aged women in Telugu and Tamil films.

FILMOGRAPHY: 1931: Bhakta Prahlada; 1932: Paduka Pattabhishekham; Shakuntala; 1933: Savithri; Prithvi Putra; 1936: Draupadi Manasamrakshanam; 1937: Tukaram; 1938: Bhakta Jayadeva; 1942: Patni; 1948: Chandralekha; 1949: Keelugurram/Maya? Kudhirai; 1951: Patala Bhairavi/Pataal? Bhairavi; Mangala; 1952: Manavati; Prema/Kathal; 1953: Rohini; Vayyari Bhama; Ammalakalu/ Marumagal; 1955: Vijayagauri; 1959: Shabash Ramudu; 1961: Velugu Needalu; 1968: Umachandi Gauri Shankarula Katha.

Actor