T. S. Balaiah facts for kids
Tirunelveli S. Balaiah (Tamil: திருநெல்வேலி எஸ். பாலையா; born August 23, 1914 – died July 22, 1972) was an Indian actor. He was very famous for playing many different kinds of roles in Tamil movies. He started acting in movies with the help of director Ellis R. Dungan in the film Sathi Leelavathi (1936). Other famous actors like M. G. Ramachandran, N. S. Krishnan, and M.K. Radha also started their careers in the same movie. Balaiah was one of the few actors who was great at playing bad guys, serious characters, and even funny roles.
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About T. S. Balaiah
His Early Life
T. S. Balaiah was born on August 23, 1914. His birthplace was Sundankottai, which is now in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. When he was young, he left home and joined a circus. Later, he joined a well-known theater group called Jagannatha Iyer's drama company in Tirunelveli. This was the start of his amazing acting journey.
Acting Career
Balaiah began his movie career with the Tamil film Sathi Leelavathi in 1936. His first main role was in the 1948 film Mohini, where he acted alongside Madhuri Devi. In this movie, he played the elder brother to V. N. Janaki, and M. G. Ramachandran had a supporting role. As he got older, he started getting more serious character roles.
Famous Roles
Balaiah was known for playing villains in movies like Ambikapathy, Madurai Veeran, and Thiruvilaiyadal. These roles were very popular and well-liked by critics. He was also excellent at comedy. Some of his funniest roles were in films such as Kavalai Illaadha Manithan, Kadhalikka Neramillai, Bama Vijayam, and Thillana Mohanambal. The famous actor Sivaji Ganesan once said that Balaiah, along with M. R. Radha, was his favorite actor.
Family Life
Balaiah had children who also became actors. His daughter, Manochithra, is an actress. One of his sons, Junior Balaiah, has also appeared in many films. Another son, Sai Baba, was a singer and part of the music group of M. S. Viswanathan.
Films He Acted In
Here are some of the movies T. S. Balaiah acted in:
| Year | Movie | Role | Director | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Agathiyar | ||||
| 1968 | Thillana Mohanambal | A. P. Nagarajan | |||
| 1967 | Ooty Varai Uravu | Vedachalam | C. V. Sridhar | ||
| 1967 | Bama Vijayam | Ethiraj | K. Balachander | ||
| 1965 | Thiruvilayadal | Hemanatha Bagavathar | A. P. Nagarajan | ||
| 1964 | Kaadhalikka Neramillai | Vishwanathan | C.V.Sridhar | ||
| 1960 | Kavalai Illaadha Manithan | K.Sankar | |||
| 1956 | Madurai Veeran | Thalapathi Marappan | Yoganand | ||
| 1949 | Velaikkari | Mani | A.S.A.Samy | ||
| 1937 | Ambikapathy | Rudrasenan | Ellis Dungan | ||
| 1936 | Sathi Leelavathi | Ellis Dungan |
