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Ragini, the youngest Travancore Sister
January 1, 2013 | 4 Comments | Betsy Woodman
Some of the traffic to my blog comes from people searching online for pictures of the three Travancore sisters, my family’s movie star neighbors in Chennai. Queries come from India, but also from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, Sri Lanka, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Perhaps the sight of these three beautiful ladies has been a remedy for homesickness for people spread over the globe by the Indian diaspora. But you don’t have to be Indian to love them.
The sisters are no longer with us, but decades after they made their movies, they still have devoted fans.
Like the older two, Lalitha and Padmini, the youngest Travancore sister, Ragini, was a stunning dancer with a sparkling screen presence. The tallest of the three, she would often play a male role in dance dramas. She’s made up with a little moustache in this clip from Ummini Thanka, a 1961 Malayalam film. She could also wield a cricket bat!
These photos show her luminous beauty.
Photo: Woodman Family Collection
Photo: Woodman Family Collection
Photo: Woodman Family Collection
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Betsy, your breadth of knowledge about Indian dance is inspiring. It’s a joy to read your blog and learn about these artists. Please keep educating us.
Esther and Sue in chilly Barrington, Illinois
“Educating” is a bit exalted, but I’ll try to amuse!
30 th dec 2012 was the 36 death anniversery of ragini. Every indians remembers her even today. And padmini too is remembered.I am sure that there is no better dancers than padmini or ragini. We can see it through their films. Padmini was honoured in russia by issuing a stamp and giving her name to a place . But india failed to honour her.
Thanks, Muhsin. I agree, the Travancore sisters are among the world’s all-time greats!