Soundarya filmography

Soundarya was an Indian actress who worked predominantly in Telugu films in addition to Kannada and Tamil films.[1] She made her film debut through the Kannada film Gandharva (1992).[2] The following year, she debuted in Telugu and Tamil with the films Manavarali Pelli and Ponnumani respectively.[1][2] She received critical acclaim for her role in the latter.[3] Between 1993 and 1994, she appeared in several commercially successful Telugu films, notably Rajendrudu Gajendrudu, Mayalodu, Number One and Hello Brother.[1] However, she had her career breakthrough with Ammoru (1995), a film which garnered her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu.[4] In 1996, she featured in the highly successful film Pavitra Bandham and won the Nandi Award for Best Actress.[4] The success of these films established her as the leading actress of Telugu cinema.[5] She achieved further success with films like Pelli Chesukundam, Choodalani Vundi, Dongaata and Arunachalam, the latter being her first venture with Rajinikanth.[5][6]

Her portrayal of an NRI woman falling prey to the extreme abuse by her father-in-law in the film Anthahpuram (1998) was highly applauded by critics.[4] She won several accolades, including her second Filmfare Best Actress award and the Nandi Special Jury Award.[4][7] In 1999, she featured in the romantic drama Raja, which earned her the third Filmfare Best Actress award as well as the Industry Hit film Padayappa.[8][9] The same year, she appeared opposite Amitabh Bachchan in the film Sooryavansham, her first and only venture in Bollywood.[7] Her career saw a further rise with films like Annayya, Ninne Premistha, Azad, 9 Nelalu and Eduruleni Manishi, which garnered her positive reviews.[10] In 2002, she acted as the protagonist and co-produced the film Dweepa, which won numerous accolades including two National Film Awards.[11] Swetha Naagu became her last release while being alive; it was her 100th film.[12] Post her death, Siva Shankar and Apthamitra marked her posthumous releases.[13][14] She was also awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada for Apthamitra posthumously.[15]

  1. ^ a b c Pandya, Haresh (10 May 2004). "Soundarya". Online edition. The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NST was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d Mulugu, Neelotpal (18 July 2019). "Soundarya – The Savitri Of Modern Telugu Cinema". Telugu Filmnagar. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Marquee News from Kodambakkam – the Tamil Tinsel-town". Minnoviyam. 11 August 1997. Archived from the original on 13 October 1999. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b Rajitha (16 August 1998). "Pretty piqued". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Soundarya — to expose or not to expose". Idlebrain.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Manjula (24 October 2020). "Soundarya's Last Movie Nartanashaala OTT Delayed Release 16 Years After Death". The Hans India. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Kannada Blockbuster 'Apthamitra' Starring Dr Vishnuvardhan And Soundarya Clocks 20 Years". Times Now. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.