There are countless actors who dedicate their lives to the craft, yet only a handful achieves widespread fame and recognition. Many talented performers tirelessly contribute to the art of cinema, consistently delivering brilliant performances without ever receiving the respect or popularity they truly deserve from the audience or the industry.
Today we will talk about one of the most famous actresses of southern cinema who devoted her life to cinema — S.N. Lakshmi.
The celebrated veteran actress S.N. Lakshmi, born in 1927, had a career spanning over six decades that was marked by her incredible dedication and talent. Hailing from a small village near Aruppukottai in Tamil Nadu, she was the youngest of 13 children. Her early life was defined by hardship; her father Narayana Thevar lost his administrative job at the Raja Kambalathu Nayakkar Palace shortly after she was born and the family was plunged into poverty. After her father’s de*th, her mother single-handedly struggled to raise the large family, taking on various jobs to survive.
At the young age of six, Lakshmi showed her determination by reportedly running away from home to join a traveling theater group. This was the start of her journey, where she honed her acting skills through thousands of stage performances.
Her talent eventually led her to the world of cinema. Her first film opportunity came in 1948 in the movie Chandralekha, where she was part of the dance troupe. From there, she went on to act in many other films, including Dr Savitri, Nalla Thangai, Thamarai Kulam, and Avana Ivan. Her versatility was showcased by her ability to portray various roles and she became especially known for playing grandmother characters even when she was still young.
Throughout her career, S.N. Lakshmi appeared in an astonishing number of films, over 1,500 in total, and performed in more than 6,000 stage plays. She worked alongside all the major actors of her time, including legends like M.G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan and S.S. Rajendran. A memorable role was her portrayal of Nagesh’s mother in Server Sundaram.
She continued to be a sought-after actress for later generations as well, starring in prominent films like Rajinikanth’s Yajaman, Vijayakanth’s Vaanathaippola and several of Kamal Haasan’s movies, such as Thevar Magan, Mahanadhi, Virumaandi, and Michael Madana Kama Rajan. Her exceptional performance in Mahanadhi was so compelling that she reportedly came very close to winning a National Film Award, missing it by only one vote.
S.N. Lakshmi chose to remain unmarried, dedicating her life entirely to her acting career and family responsibilities. Despite her immense success, she remained a humble and generous person, lifting her entire family out of poverty through her hard work. She lived with her brother, nieces and nephews in Chennai and even in her later years, she maintained her independence, continuing to drive herself.
She was known to have donated a significant portion of her wealth, including land and houses, to the people she had helped raise. It is also said that she supported many destitute homes, a testament to her charitable nature.
In 2012, S.N. Lakshmi passed away at the age of 85. She was buried on her own land in her native village of Chennelgudi, where a memorial was erected in her honor. She is still revered as a family deity by her relatives and the people of her village, who worship her every year during Maha Shivaratri.
While she was widely respected for her rare ability to blend seamlessly into any role, she is considered one of the most underrated performers of Tamil cinema. Her legacy endures through her countless films, many of which would not have been seen by newer generations without the continuous support of directors and actors like Kamal Haasan.
She was certainly an inspirational woman.
