Potpourri of titbits about cinema - Anjali Devi

My media friends from countries like Singapore, Malaysia and London would always ask me to get an appointment for them with the veteran artiste and beauty queen of yesteryears Anjali Devi. And, they are all very keen to be photographed along with this reputed artiste. As I’ve been very friendly with her from my early days, I would tell her about my media friends requesting an appointment with her for an interview. And, the great artiste would immediately agree without making any fuss. And, watching her talking to my friends pouring out her thoughts and sharing her experiences would be a delight. She would take them to her rewarding past, making a retro trip to her films, speaking in a quaint mix of Tamil and Telugu.

Anjali Devi was born to the couple Nukkiah – Sathyavathi at Pethapuram near Visakappattinam in Andhra Pradesh in the year 1928. Her given name was Anjanikumari. Director P. Pulliah changed her name to Anjali Devi for the big screen. Anjali Devi gave up her studies in favor of acting and dancing as she realized that art was in her blood. The troupe she joined performed dance-dramas at various places. In one of her stage performances, she was spotted by Adhinarayana Rao, music director cum choreographer. Very much impressed by her beauty and talents, he took her to be part of his troupe. He gave her prominent roles in his Telugu stage plays ‘Theru paatagan’ and ‘Loli’ and Anjali became a well-known face in theatre. In course of time, the two fell in love and got married with the consent of their parents.

She made her bow in cinema with the Telugu film ‘Kolla Bhama’, directed by Pulliah. The film in which she donned the role of ‘Mohini’ released in the year 1940. The film was a run-away hit both in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. And, there followed a plethora of offers. She made waves in the film industry with her hits including ‘Mahatma Udangar’, ‘Mangaiyarkarasi’, ‘Penn’, ‘Kanavanae kann kantadeivam’, ‘Mudhal thethi’, ‘Naan sollum ragasiyam’, ‘Chakravarthi thirumagal’, ‘Mannaadhi mannan’, ‘Kaalam maari pochchu’, ‘Illaramae nallaram’, ‘Bhooloka Rambai’, ‘Veerakkalai’, ‘Manaalanae mangaiyin baagyam’, ‘Aduththa veettu penn’ etc. She was busy acting in Telugu films too, with a few Hindi films in between. Her career rose to new heights with each and every film she did. In the films produced together by herself and her husband, she always saw that her husband scored the music.