R.PADMA ,LUX BEAUTY TAMIL ACTRESS 1940`S BUT NEVER COME TOP

R.PADMA ,LUX BEAUTY TAMIL ACTRESS 1940`S

 BUT NEVER COME TOP

According to Randor Guy, R. Padma was a "Lux Soap" model who "was active in Tamil cinema during the 1940's, but never made it to the top" and "is barely remembered today."

The "Blast from the Past" and related articles at The Hindu list Padma as an actress in: Vaayaadi (1940), Sabapathy (1941), Prabhavathi (1942), Aayiram Thalaivaangi Apoorva Chintamani (1947), Geeta Gandhi (1949), Devamanohari (1951), and as an actress and singer in En Manaivi (1942).

Sabapathy (1941) - "Naan Angae" - R. Padma played "the hero's educated wife who teaches her husband English" in this film. In the song "Naan Angae" below, she performs a dance! Sabapathy was among the very first films Muthuswami Pillai choreographed for. I was surprised to find that the film title cards credited dance direction to not only V.S. Muthuswami Pillai but also Meenakshisundaram Pillai! This must be Vaitheeswarankoil

Meenakshisundaram Pillai, Muthuswami's guardian and the person who first introduced Muthuswami to film choreography through his famous students Yogam and Mangalam (see Part One for more information). Perhaps Sabapathi was sort of an "apprentice" film where Muthuswami learned the ropes under Meenakshisundaram. The dance is fascinating considering how early it was filmed. It is presented not for a male patron or courtly admirers but rather for

elders/prospective family members (?) in a respectable, domestic setting. Padma's costume is full of gorgeous details, patterns, and designs, and it has a modern sewn-in pyjama fan.

I find Padma's dance abilities lacking and she is quite stiff, but the number is a wonderfully-preserved item of historical interest.