Even today, many actresses face struggles—family pressure, industry politics, and social judgment. Now, picture the past, when women were criticised simply for choosing acting as a career.
One such heroine is Pushpavalli. She not only battled hardships to establish herself but also faced storms in her personal life because of love.
Her real name was Kandala Venkata Pushpavalli Tayaru, born in 1926 in Andhra Pradesh. If the name sounds unfamiliar—she was none other than Rekha’s mother.
Pushpavalli began acting at just 12 years old. She first appeared as Sita in Sampoorna Ramayanam. For her debut, she was paid ₹300—a fee even male leads didn’t earn back then.
She went on to act in hits like Bala Nagamma (1942) and gained recognition with Miss Malini (1947). For 18 years, she worked nonstop with Gemini Studios, appearing in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi films.
But her personal life was far from easy. She first married lawyer I.V. Rangachari and had two children, but the marriage didn’t last. Later, while working in films, she met Gemini Ganesan, already married with six children.
Though they never married, Pushpavalli and Ganesan lived together and had two daughters—Rekha and Radha. Pushpavalli continued to shoulder family responsibilities, working tirelessly to raise her children.
Pushpavalli passed away in 1991. Like her mother, Rekha entered films at the age of 12, debuting in Rangula Ratnam. What began as a necessity soon became her destiny—shaping one of Indian cinema’s most iconic careers.
