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T. P. Rajalakshmi
T. P. Rajalakshmi or Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi was the first Tamil film actress, female director and producer of the South Indian film industry.

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T. P. Rajalakshmi, Indian ActressThiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi was the first Tamil and Telugu film heroine, female director and producer in the South Indian film industry.

Early Life of Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi
T.P.Rajalakshmi was born on 11 November 1911 in the town of Thiruvaiyaru in the then Tanjore district of the Madras Presidency.

Early Career of Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi
Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi married her co-star T. V. Sundaram. As soon after their wedding, the Couple adopted a female child, in order to save the girl child from "Girl Child Assassination", that was practiced in those days. Also Rajalakshmi acted in several stage plays showing the protest for the British people, who were ruling over the India in those days, which made Rajalakshmi to be imprisoned several times by the British Government. Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi was a role model for the people and she initiated the social awareness to fight against the Female Child Assassination and to fight for the Freedom of the Nation through her life style that she led.

Theatre Career of Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi
In order to support her family, Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi joined a drama troupe and acted in stage plays. She learnt dance and music from Sankaradas Swamigal, a popular dramatist. Rajalakshmi got her big break in 1931, when she was cast as the heroine in the first Tamil talkie, Kalidas. Later on, Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi turned out to be the star cast of those days. Many directors and producers requested Rajalakshmi to provide her call sheet for the upcoming films.

Honours by Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi
Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi was honoured with the title "Cinema Rani" and later, she was awarded the "Kalaimamani" award for her excellence towards the Cine Industry, for which Puratchi Thalaivar Dr.M.G. Ramachandran, who was the Chief Minister honoured T.P.Rajalakshmi by sending his own car to Rajalakhmi`s house in order to invite the pioneer to the venue, where Rajalakshmi was facilitated and awarded. Other leading stars like Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, M.G.Chakrapani, T.R.Mahalingam, Nambiar and many people had a great respect on T.P.Rajalakshmi and the entire South Indian Film Industry of those days were so proud for T.P.R. Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi introduced a sequence in which a song is heard over the radio. It was a period when radio was not yet a familiar medium of entertainment.

Freedom Movement Participation by Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi Thiruvaiyaru Panchapakesa Rajalakshmi was associated with the Freedom Movement and the Indian National Congress. To express her devotion to the cause, she produced a film India Thai. The British Indian censors objected to the title of the film, but TPR never minded the protest and she released the film daring in the name of the "Indhiya Thaai". Heavily mauled by the censors, this film fared badly at the box office but she did not mind the loss for her, rather she felt it was her contribution to the Freedom Movement.


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