Soundarya

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Soundarya (July 17, 1971 - April 17, 2004) was a film actress in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. She had a successful career of 12 years as heroine in films until her death in a plane crash near Bangalore. She acted in more than 100 films.

Image:Dweepa2.jpg

Soumya acted in her first film while she was at high school. She was offered a role in the film Gandharva (1992) by her father's friend, while she was studying in her first year of MBBS. She discontinued her studies after the film became successful.

She moved onto Telugu films where she achieved popularity and success. She has also acted in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and one Hindi film Sooryavansham opposite Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan.

She also produced and acted in a Kannada film Dweepa, with Girish Kasaravalli as director. The film won host of National awards including Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) given for best film of the year and the Best Actress award for Soundarya. It also won Karnataka state awards for Best Actress, Best Film and Best Cinematography and was featured in five international film festivals. Soundarya died on April 17, 2004 when the four-seater plane Cessna 180 caught fire immediately after take off. She was on her way to Andhra Pradesh to campaign for Bharatiya Janata Party for the elections. Her brother, Amarnath, a producer of Kannada films, also died in the accident. Her last film was the immensely successful Kannada film, Aaptamitra.

1 Film career
2 Personal life
3 Selected filmography
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Film career

She was one of the last Telugu actresses who had a powerful screen presence.She had formed a hit pair with Venkatesh by featuring together in family entertainers like Raja,Jayam manadera,Pellichesukundam,Pavithra Bandham etc.They were the most successful hit pair of Tollywood. She was always against choosing roles that required exposure of skin. She is respected and fondly remembered by the Telugu people. She got 6 filmfare awards in a short span of 12 yrs for Ammoru (1994), Antahpuram (1998), Raja (1999), Dweepa (2002)(2 awards as best actress and best producer), Aaptamitra (2004) She got 4 karnatakastate govt awards for Donisagali[It was dubbed as MAHILA in telugu], Dweepa[2 awards as best actress and best producer], Aaptamitra. She got 3 prestigious nandi awards for Ammoru, Pavithrabandam, Antahpuram

[edit] Personal life

Soundarya was born in the Ashtagrama villages and was an Ashtagrama Iyer. She married her maternal uncle and childhood friend, software engineer G. S. Raghu, in April 2003. She had great dreams of promoting public welfare during her lifetime. At the time of her death, she was about to produce and act in a film titled 'Kamli', directed by K.N.T Sastry. Her wishes of funding welfare activities are being fulfilled by her husband and sister-in-law through the AMARA SOUNDARYA SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL TRUST [ASSET]. She has developed the entire village of Gangigunte, Mallibagilu Taluk, in the Kolara district of Karnataka. Soundarya maintained an orphanage. Presently, it is being maintained by her relatives. In addition, the school, AMARA SOUNDARYA VIDYALAYA, is maintained by her trust and her own home is now being used as a school. There are many ideas and concepts that were once dreamt and thought of by Soundarya and her brother Amarnath, for the welfare of the society, in general.

[edit] Selected filmography

Telugu
- Manavarali pelli(1993)
- Madam
- Allari premikudu (1994)
- chudalani vundhi(1998)
- Rajandrudu Gajendrudu (1993)
- Hello Brother (1994)
- Ammoru(1995)
- Premaku velaayara
- Raja
- No 1
- Amma Donga
- Amma Naa Kodala
- Top Hero
- Annayya
- Rikshavadu
- Tommidi Nellalu
- Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu
- Priyaragalu
- Anthahpuram
- Annayya
- Raithu Bharatam
- Postman
- Pedarayudu
- Jayam Manadera
- Pelli chesukundam
- Narasimha
- Sri ramulayya
- Seethayya
- Swethanagu
- Mayalodu
- Deviputhrudu(2000)
- Arundhati(1999)
- Azad(2000)

Kannada
- Dweepa (2001)
- Aaptamitra (2004) (her last film before she died)
- Naanu nanna hendatiru
- Sipaayi

Tamil
- Ponnumani
- Thavasi
- Harichandra
- Arunachalam (1997)
- kathala kathala (1998)
- Padayappa (1999)
- Muthukalai
- Senapathi
- Sokka thangam
- Ivan (2002)