Chindodi Leela

Chindodi Leela was a renowned Indian Actress on television and stage. She was a great writer for Karnataka and a politician from the same state. She started her journey from 1928, and was there in the profession for almost 80 years, played different roles in 32 films. From the teenage onwards, even though her personal interests lies acting in real life situations, she played number of shows related to historical events and mythological tales as well. It includes Janapada, Tipu Sultan and Gunasagari. Her play in Polusana Magalu, which means a police officer’s daughter, was a great one in her journey. This famous Drama Show entered into Guinness book of records had screened for 4500 shows. It was about a love story between the daughter of a police officer and the villain, where she finally caught shooting the villain at the end of the movie. Leela got an acting opportunity at the age of five, when she played a role in Halli Hudugi. She got huge exposure in Kannada cinema for her leading roles in movies like Sharapanjara (1971), Kittur Chennamma (1962), Rani Chanamma (1962), Gaali Gopura (1962), Krishnadevaraya. She was the producer for Hamsalekha, a film about a blind musician called Panchakshari Gavaayi. This movie gave her various awards from state and central Governments.

She was also a Member of Legislative Council from Karnataka for a term of six years. For more than three decades, she ran the Karnataka Nataka Academy and received various awards like the Sangeet Natak Academy award, the PadmaShri for his outstanding efforts as an Actress in Kannada film industry. She also won Sri Krishnadevaraya Award from the Andhra Pradesh Government. The Karnataka Government recognized her efforts to the film industry and presented her with Dr. Gubbi Veeranna Award, which was the highest level of honour in Karnataka state for any theater personality. For Leela theatre means a temple to worship. In all her life, she worked very hard to implement the education in theatre in all the government schools. Her message to all the lovers of theatre was to keep the culture and the moral values of our country and pass down to our future generations. She died on 21st January, 2010 due to heart attack, after which she was cremated near Davanagere.