Actor Leelavathi passes away at 86 in Bengaluru hosp

BENGALURU: Actor Leelavathi, who passed away here Friday, ruled Sandalwood in the 1960s and 70s as one of the most successful heroines of Kannada film industry. There was a time when people in Karnataka would liken the pair of actor Rajkumar and Leelavathi to the divine couple, Parvathi-Parameswara.

Although Jayanthi was credited to have acted in the highest number of films as Rajkumar's heroine, it was Leelavathi whose name was synonymous with the thespian.

Kantheredu Nodu, Manamechhida Madadi, Kulavadhu, Kanyaratna and Veerakesari were among the movies that saw the duo at their romantic best. So convincing were the two as an on-screen couple that Leelavathi did not fade into oblivion as she aged. Later too, she continued to perform opposite Rajkumar in mature roles in films such as Bhakta Kumbara and Sipayi Ramu.

Rajkumar and Leelavathi had appeared as Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi in the film Gange Gowri, and the portrait of the pair adorned the walls of many houses.

Did a variety of roles

Leelavathi also had the rare distinction of having worked with Rajkumar in various films as heroine as well as his daughter (Bhoodaana), daughter-in-law (Kittur Chennamma), sister (Vatsalya), elder brother's wife (Premamayi), younger brother's wife (Kalitharu Henne), paternal aunt (Shravana Banthu) and mother-in-law (Vasantha Geetha).

Born Leela Kiran in 1938 in Belthangady, Dakshina Kannada district, Leelavathi was orphaned at a very early age and was raised by a Christian missionary. Gravitating towards acting, she joined Mahalinga Bhagavathar's theatre company at the age of 13. She made her debut as a film actor in 1949, when she appeared in a small role in Mahatma Pictures' Nagakannika.

"Leelavathi was a versatile and dependable actor as her talent knew no bounds," said veteran filmmaker SV Rajendra Singh Babu, who is carrying forward the legacy of Mahatma Pictures founded by his father Shankar Singh.

Having acted in about 600 films, Leelavathi performed with elan in all the roles she essayed, including as the lead actress in about 50 films.

Self-reliant till the end

What made her stand apart from her contemporaries was her deftness in handling fame and money, thanks to which she was self-reliant till the end unlike many other actors whose lives turned miserable after moving out of the spotlight. She bought a tract of land in Madras (now Chennai) in the 1970s and turned it into a rose farm. She also developed a farm near Nelamangala on the outskirts of Bengaluru, where she lived till the end with her actor-son Vinod Raj.

Not only was she self-sufficient, but she also helped the poor and her social concerns led her into building a general hospital and a veterinary hospital near Nelamangala. For years, she used to come to the Press Club of Bangalore (PCB) daily with her pet dog and feed stray dogs there.

"She is a role model for career-oriented women, irrespective of the domain they work in. The confidence she exuded is exemplary," said veteran journalist and film historian Dr Vijayamma.


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