Soundarya

Soundarya
Born	Soumya (1972-07-18)July 18, 1972 Mulbagal, Kolar, Karnataka, India
Died	April 17, 2004(2004-04-17) (aged 31) GKVK campus, Bangalore, India
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–2004
Height	5'6"
Spouse(s)	G. S. Raghu (2003–2004) (till her death)

Soundarya (Kannada: ಸೌಂದರ್ಯ Telugu: సౌందర్యTamil:சௌந்தர்யா; born Sowmya; 18 July 1972 – 17 April 2004) was an actress born in Karnataka who acted mainly in Kannada and Telugu films and also in many Tamil, Malayalam and Bollywood movies. She was much sought-after actress in the 1990s and acted in more than 100 films, most of them in Telugu. She produced movies in the later phase of her career and won the Silver Lotus Award for her film Dweepa. She also received the Filmfare Awards six times for her acting performances. Soundarya died in a plane crash while campaigning for a political party near Bangalore in 2004.

Film career

Soundarya was the daughter of Kannada film producer and writer K. S. Satyanarayan. She was born in Mulbagal and raised in Bangalore. She made her debut while in her first year of MBBS when she was offered a role by a friend of her father's in the Kannada film Gandharva (1992). Her first Telugu film was 'Manavarali Pelli' (1992). She discontinued her studies after Ammoru (1995).^{[citation needed]}

She moved on to Telugu films, where she achieved greater popularity and success.

She acted in around 90 Telugu films, such as Pavithrabandham, Pelliichesukundam with Venkatesh, found to be a popular pair. Annaya, Chudalani undhi with Chiranjeevi and others like Nagarjuna,balakrishna, Srikanth, Rajendraprasad, Jagapathibabu, Krishna,vineeth, abbas, prabu deva, vikram mohan babu, arjun saikumar, vinod kumar, j d charavarthi etc. She acted in several female-oriented roles like Thommidi nelalu, Arundhathi, Maa inti adapaduchu, etc. Directors like Ragavendra rao, S.V.Krishna Reddy, Kodi Ramakrishna, Kranthi Kumar gave her lead roles.

Soundarya acted in one Hindi film, Sooryavansham. She was in Tamil films, such as Arunachalam and Padayappa alongside Rajinikanth, Kaadhala Kaadhala alongside Kamal Haasan and others.

She produced and acted in the Kannada film Dweepa which won her many awards. Unfortunately, the last film in her career was the Kannada film Apthamitra, a run away hit with Southern Super Star Dr. Vishnuvardhan. The film was a box-office hit and ran successfully for one whole year in the theaters. This film also won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress posthumously in 2004.

She performed in Malayalam movies opposite Jayaram and Mohanlal too.

Her Kannada film Dweepa directed by Girish Kasaravalli won many awards. Soundarya not only acted in the film, but also produced the movie. As a producer she won her the 49th Golden Lotus award in 2001, which is given for best film of the year. She also won the Karnataka state award for Best Actress for her brilliant performance and the best film award as a producer. The film also won the Karnataka state award for the best Cinematography, and was featured in five international film festivals.

She bagged seven Filmfare awards and three Nandhi awards from the government of Andhra Pradesh.

She was compared to great actress Savithri in her acting. She was one of the finest actresses who believed in acting and not showing skin (glamor). In an interview, veteran actor Akkineni Nageshswara Rao said that if old blockbuster movie Mayabazar is to be remade, for the role of savithri he sugessted that Soundarya would suit best for the role of Sasirekha.

Soundarya was offered the role of Draupadi in the remake of Narthanashala. Soundarya along with Balakrishna started shooting, but the film got shelved for financial reasons; the actress died before shooting continued.

Personal life

Soundarya was born in the village of Ashtagrama, Gangigunte, Mulabagal taluk, Kolar. She married her maternal uncle's son and childhood friend, software engineer G. S. Raghu, on 27 April 2003. She planned on promoting public welfare. Her husband and sister-in-law founded the Amara Soundarya Social and Educational Trust [ASSET]. Soundarya maintained an orphanage in Bangalore. She donated money to numerous educational institutions during her lifetime.kjip

Death

Soundarya died on April 17, 2004, in an aircraft crash near Bangalore, when the plane she was traveling in caught fire immediately after take-off. The plane, a Cessna 180, chartered by Agni Aviation, left Jakkur Airfield at 11:05 AM. Shortly after take-off the plane turned left, plunged and crashed in an open field about 500 m from the airport. She was on her way to Andhra Pradesh to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party for the coming elections. Her brother, Amarnath, a producer of Kannada films, also died in the accident. She was awarded the Karnataka State Award posthumously for her Kannada super hit film and her last film Apthamithra, which was received by her mother.

Filmography

Year	Film	Language	Notes
1992	Gandharva	Kannada
1992	Baa Nanna Preethisu	Kannada
1992	Manavarali Pelli	Telugu
1992	Madhavaiah Gari Manavadu	Telugu
1993	Nanna Thangi	Kannada
1993	Ponnumani	Tamil
1993	Rajendrudu Gajendrudu	Telugu
1993	Amma Naa Kodala	Telugu
1993	Madam	Telugu
1993	Mayalodu	Telugu
1993	Inspector Jhansi	Telugu
1993	Asalae Pellaina Vanni	Telugu
1993	Donga Alludu	Telugu
1994	Thooguve Krishnana	Kannada
1994	Allari Premikudu	Telugu
1994	Hello Brother	Telugu
1994	Top Hero	Telugu
1994	Super Police	Telugu
1994	Muthukkalai	Tamil
1994	Priyaragalu	Telugu
1994	Number One	Telugu
1995	Rikshavodu	Telugu
1995	Amma Donga	Telugu
1995	Ammoru	Telugu	Winner Nandi Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu
1995	Bhale Bullodu	Telugu
1995	Amma Naa Kodala	Telugu
1995	Peddarayudu	Telugu
1995	Chilakapacha Kapuram	Telugu
1995	Raja Simham	Telugu
1995	Vetagadu	Telugu
1995	Balaraju Bangaru Pellam	Telugu
1996	Major	Telugu
1996	Pavithra Bandham	Telugu	Winner Nandi Award for Best Actress
1996	Maa Voori Maraju	Telugu
1996	Ramudochadu	Telugu
1996	Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu	Telugu
1996	Puttinti Gowravam	Telugu
1996	Maa Inti Adapadachu	Telugu
1996	Sipayi	Kannada
1996	Prema Pranayam	Telugu
1997	Pellichesukundam	Telugu
1997	Adirindi Guru	Telugu
1997	Taraka Ramudu	Telugu
1997	Maa Aayana Bangaram	Telugu
1997	Oosi Na Maradala	Telugu
1997	Aaro Pranam	Telugu
1997	Arunachalam	Tamil
1998	Choodalani Vundi	Telugu
1998	Pelli Peetalu	Telugu
1998	Sri Ramulayya	Telugu
1998	Sooryudu	Telugu
1998	Doni Saagali	Kannada	Winner Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress
1998	Anthapuram	Telugu/ Tamil	Winner Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu
1998	Jagadeka Veerudu	Telugu
1998	Thambulalu	Telugu
1998	Senapathi	Tamil
1998	Dongata	Telugu
1998	Subha Vaartha	Telugu
1998	'Rayudu	Telugu
1998	Kaathala Kaathala	Tamil
1999	Raja	Telugu	Winner Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu
1999	Aryabhata	Kannada
1999	Anaganaga O Ammayi	Telugu
1999	Arundhati	Telugu
1999	Premaku Velayara	Telugu
1999	Manavudu Danavudu	Telugu
1999	Padayappa	Tamil
1999	Naanu Nanna Hendthiru	Kannada
1999	Sooryavansham	Hindi
1999	Mayadari Mosagadu	Telugu
2000	Annayya	Telugu
2000	Jayam Manade Raa	Telugu
2000	Azad	Telugu
2000	Devi Putrudu	Telugu
2000	Ninne Premistha	Telugu
2000	Moodu Mukkalata	Telugu
2000	Ravanna	Telugu
2000	Mannavaru Chinnavaru	Tamil
2000	Naga Devatha	Kannada/Telugu
2000	Postman	Telugu
2001	Sri Manjunatha	Kannada/Telugu	With Kannada Star Ambareesh, Sumalatha, Arjun Sarja and Telugu Star Chiranjeevi
2001	Eduruleni Manishi	Telugu
2001	Sarduku Podam Randi	Telugu
2001	Naa Manasisthaa Raa	Telugu
2001	9 Nelalu	Telugu
2001	Adhipati	Telugu
2001	Eshwar Allah	Telugu
2001	Pedamma Talli	Telugu
2001	Thavasi	Tamil
2001	Kalisi Naduddam	Telugu
2002	Kondaveeti Simhasanam	Telugu
2002	Premaku Swagatham	Telugu
2002	Yathrakarude Sradhakku	Malayalam
2002	Gelupu	Telugu
2002	Ivan	Tamil
2003	Chokka Thangam	Tamil
2003	Prema Donga	Telugu
2003	Seethayya	Telugu
2003	Kilichundan Mampazham	Malayalam
2003	Dweepa	Kannada	Also as producer Winner National Film Award for Best Feature Film Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress Winner Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada
2004	Siva Shankar	Telugu	Posthumously released
2004	Shwetha Naga and Swetha Nagu	Kannada and Telugu	Posthumously released
2004	Madhumathi	Tamil
2004	Apthamitra	Kannada	Posthumously released and awarded Winner Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada Her last film ran for a whole year

See also

• List of Indian film actresses

External links

• Soundarya at the Internet Movie Database