Garikapati Varalakshmi

G Varalakshmi is a talented yesteryear actress who has acted in Telugu and Tamil films. She is also a singer, director and stage artiste. The roles she played in films like Letha Manasulu and Drohi gained her recognition. Born on 27 September 1926 in Andhra Pradesh, Varalakshmi had interest in cinema when she was just 11 years old. Hence she started acting in drama and became famous for her portrayals in Rangoon Rowdy and Sakkubai. Varalakshmi started to act in mainstream cinema when she was 14 years old. She acted in two movies which had two-in-one release. Later she shifted to Bombay and worked as a chorus group member for music composer Naushad during the year 1942. Her brief stint as a singer didn’t bear fruits, hence she came back to Chennai. Eventually she tied the nuptial knot to studio-owner and filmmaker K.S. Prakash Rao. Along with her spouse, Varalakshmi produced and starred in a controversial yet famous movie Drohi. Kula Gotralu, Pelli Chesi Choodu and Kanna Talli are some of the famous movies that Varalakshmi had worked in. She was paired opposite all big heroes in Tamil and Telugu during the 1940s and 1950s. She donned the character's mother-in-law, amiable woman and rude sister with equal panache. Moogajeevulu is a social movie directed by Varalakshmi. She had a brief stint with politics; she supported the former Chief Minister MGR. She has over 46 films to her credit. Varalakshmi breathed her last in 26 November 2006.