Sukumari

Sukumari (6 October 1940 – 26 March 2013) was an Indian film actress best known for her work in Malayalam and Tamil films.

She began acting at the age of 10. In 2003, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contributions toward the arts. She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Tamil film Namma Gramam (2010).

Sukumari died on 26 March 2013, following a heart attack while under treatment for burn injuries she received while lighting the pooja lamp at her residence in Chennai.

Early life

Sukumari was born on October 6, 1940 in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, to Malayali parents Madhavan Nair (a bank manager) and Sathyabhama Amma. She studied at Poojappura LP School until second grade; she then moved to Madras, where she studied until fourth forum. She had four sisters and one brother.

Career

She left home at a young age to study dance with her aunt Saraswathi Amma in Chennai, alongside her first cousins the Travancore Sisters: Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini (their mothers were sisters). She learned dance with the sisters and mastered dance forms like Keralanadanam, Kathakali and Bharathanatyam. She went for an all-India tour with the sisters.