Potpourri of titbits about cinema - K. B. Sundarambal

The woman with a magnetic voice

The child born on 26-10-1908 at Kodumudi of Erode district grew into a girl who hypnotized the people with her ‘magnetic’ voice. She was K. B. Sundarambal. At her tender age of ten, Sundarambal was a stage artiste, singing and acting. She met Kittappa in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) when she went there for her stage play in 1926. As both were talented musicians, both became close and fell in love. And, they married against much opposition and many odds. The couple started a drama company and named it Srigana Sabha. In 1928, Sundarambal delivered a female child but it died. The couple lived a married life for some more years but they didn’t get a second child. Kittappa died on 2-12-1933 due to some illness. Sundarambal donned white clothing and preferred the life of a ‘sanyasini’ and left acting. In the year 1935, many people in the industry tried to bring her to cinema. Sundarambal demanded one lakh rupees as salary, believing that nobody would approach her for acting if she demanded a huge sum. And, Sundarambal was not disturbed for some time. But, when the producer of the film ‘Nandanaar” approached her offering one lakh rupees as salary for the role of Nandanaar, Sundarambal had to agree and she did the role too. In 1935, one lakh rupees was the highest salary ever paid to any woman artiste at the national level. Then followed many films including ‘Avvaiyaar”, “Manimekalai”, “Mahakavi Kalidaas”, “Thiruvilaiyaadal”, “Poompuhaar” etc. Sundarambal, being a staunch believer in God gave music programs for low payment at many temples. When her health was affected in 1980, she took treatment. But she died on 19th September in spite of the treatment.