Devika

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For other people with the same name, see Devika (name).

Devika
Devika in one of her movies
Born
Prameela Devi

(1943-04-25)25 April 1943
Madras, Madras Presidency, British India (present day Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India)
Died2 May 2002(2002-05-02) (aged 59)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
NationalityIndian
OccupationActress
Years active1957–1986
Spouse
Devadas
​
​
(m. 1968; div. 1990)​
ChildrenKanaka (b.1973)
RelativesRaghupathi Venkaiah Naidu (grandfather)

Devika Devadoss (born Prameela Devi; 25 April 1943 – 2 May 2002)[citation needed] was an Indian actress who worked in Tamil and Telugu along with a few Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi films. She was one of the popular lead actresses in the 1960s.

Devika is the daughter of Gajapati Naidu and the grand daughter of Telugu cinema doyen and pioneer Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu.[1] One of her uncles, C. Basudev, was a Mayor of Chennai. Actress Kanaka is her only daughter.[1]

Additional context about her personal life reveals some family disputes and complexities. Devika was married to S.S. Devadoss in 1972, and they divorced in 1990. They had a daughter named Kanaka, who also became an actress. There were controversies involving their daughter Kanaka and her father regarding property and legal matters after Devika's death. Kanaka publicly accused her father of spreading rumors and slandering her, while her father claimed protection and legal action due to alleged cruelty from Kanaka and disputes over Devika's will and property.[2]

Film career

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In Tamil, she has acted with all major heroes of the day. In Mudhalali, an AVM film, in which she made her debut, she was paired with S. S. Rajendran. The film received a certificate as the (Best regional language film) for the year and the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.

She paired with M. G. Ramachandran in Anandha Jodhi. She won accolades and her portrayal was a critical and commercial success.

With Sivaji Ganesan she has acted in the filmsKarnan, Kulamagal Radhai, Andavan Kattalai, Anbu Karangal, Annai Illam, Paava Mannippu, Muradan Muthu, Neela Vaanam and Bale Pandiya.

She portrayed Radha in the film Sumaithaangi alongside Gemini Ganesan as his tragic lover. The film was directed by Sridhar. Her performance received critical acclaim.

She acted in some other Sridhar films like Nenjam Marappathillai and Nenjil Or Aalayam. The song Sonnadhu Nee thaanaa in Nenjil or Aalayam became a hit because of her acting, apart from the lyrics and music.

Death

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Devika was admitted to Madras Hospital when she complained of chest pain and after a few days she died following a heart attack.[3]

Filmography

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Tamil

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Telugu

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Malayalam

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Hindi

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Kannada

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Going in search of a yesteryear star actress and what I learnt". The New Indian Express. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Actor Kanaka's father seeks police help". The Times of India. 6 August 2013. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  3. ^ "Devika - MusicBrainz". musicbrainz.org. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Somavara Vratha Mahathyam (1963)". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Suguna Sundari Katha". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Gadusu Pillodu (1977)". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
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