Srividya

Sreevidya, also known as Srividya, was an Indian film actress who appeared in films in the Tamil and Malayalam film industries for 40 years. In the latter part of her career, she concentrated on Malayalam films. Her portrayals as a mother in many films were highly acclaimed. In addition to acting, she occasionally worked as a playback singer as well. Srividya's personal life was full of tragedies. In 2006, she died of spine cancer, aged 53.

Early life

Srividya was born on 24 July 1953 at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India to Tamil film comedian Krishnamurthy and Carnatic classical singer M. L. Vasanthakumari. She had a brother, Sankararaman. Her mother tongue is Tamil. Her father had to stop acting in the year when she was born because of a disease which affected his facial muscles. Her family fell into financial crisis. Her mother worked long hours to meet the family's financial needs. Srividya once reportedly said that her mother didn't even have time to breastfeed her. Srividya debuted in acting at a very early age. When her parent's marriage faced problems due to financial difficulties, Srividya's youth was blighted. She got a marriage proposal from a scientist based in the U.S., but the marriage did not materialize due to financial problems faced by her family.