{{Short description|Telugu-Indian Actress & Singer in Telugu Drama Films of the 1940s-1960s (c.1927 - 2015)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = T. Kanakam | image = | imagesize = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = 1926/1927 | birth_place = Kharagpur | death_date = 21 July 2015 (aged 88) | death_place = Vijayawada | occupation = Actor, singer | spouse = | awards = NTR Art Award – 2004}}
'''T. Kanakam''' (c. 1927 – 21 July 2015) was an Indian Telugu drama and film actress and singer between the 1940s and 1960s. She acted in some of the best known and most popular hit films of that period.<ref>[http://www.tollywoodsingers.com/tkanakam.htm Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326161031/https://www.tollywoodsingers.com/tkanakam.htm |date=26 March 2023 }}, tollywoodsingers.com. Retrieved 31 July 2015.</ref>
==Biography== Kanakam was born in Kharagpur in 1927<ref>Nata Ratnalu, Mikkilineni Radhakrishna Murthy, Second edition, 2002; pp: 598–99.</ref> and later relocated to Vijayawada. She started singing folk songs in All India Radio since childhood. She became famous for playing Nayakuralu Nagamma in ''Palnati Yudham'' and Sri Krishna in ''Kurukshetram'' dramas. She also played as Srirama, Chintamani and many more and toured the entire state playing the dramas. She is contemporary to Peesapati Narasimha Murty, Shanmukhi Anjaneya Raju, Kalyanam Raghuramaiah, Relangi, Madhavapeddi Satyam and others.
She sang some songs in the films including ''Cheyi Cheyi Kalupukora'' in Raksharekha and ''Bhale Doralaku'' in ''Shavukaru''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.musicindiaonline.com/list_albums/i/28-Telugu_Soundtracks/37024-Kanakam_T/#/list_albums/i/28-Telugu_Soundtracks/37024-Kanakam_T/ |title=T. Kanakam songs at Music India Online. |access-date=8 April 2010 |archive-date=7 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307123043/http://www.musicindiaonline.com/list_albums/i/28-Telugu_Soundtracks/37024-Kanakam_T/#/list_albums/i/28-Telugu_Soundtracks/37024-Kanakam_T/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
She received the Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao Theatre Art Award for 2004 from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/19/stories/2005011908430400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050120053027/http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/19/stories/2005011908430400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 January 2005 |title=Andhra Pradesh News : Briefly |date=19 January 2005 |work=The Hindu |accessdate=1 December 2016}}</ref> Kanakam died in 2015, aged 88.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sakshi.com/news/district/yesteryear-actress-kanakam-passed-away-259234 |title=అలనాటి నటి కనకం కన్నుమూత |publisher=Sakshi.com |date=21 July 2015 |accessdate=1 December 2016}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Film ! Language ! Character |- | 1946 | ''Gruhapravesam'' | Telugu | |- | 1947 | ''Brahma Ratham'' | Telugu | |- | 1949 | ''Gunasundari Katha'' | Telugu | Yakshini |- | 1949 | ''Keelu Gurram'' | Telugu | |- | 1949 | ''Raksha Rekha'' | Telugu | |- | 1950 | ''Shavukaru'' | Telugu | Raami |- | 1951 | ''Aakasa Raju'' | Telugu | |- | 1951 | ''Patala Bhairavi'' | Telugu | |- | 1951 | ''Agni Pareeksha'' | Telugu | |- | 1951 | ''Maya Pilla'' | Telugu | |- | 1952 | ''Daasi'' | Telugu | Durgi |- | 1953 | ''Velaikari Magal'' | Tamil | Durgi |- | 1954 | ''Peddamanushulu'' | Telugu | Item number |- | 1966 | ''Letha Manasulu'' | Telugu | |- | 1967 | ''Bhakta Prahlada'' | Telugu | |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0437055}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanakam, T.}} Category:1920s births Category:2015 deaths Category:20th-century Indian actresses Category:Indian women playback singers Category:Actors from Krishna district Category:Date of birth missing Category:Actresses from Andhra Pradesh Category:Actresses in Telugu cinema Category:Indian film actresses Category:Singers from Andhra Pradesh Category:Actresses in Telugu theatre Category:Indian stage actresses Category:20th-century Indian women singers Category:Film musicians from Andhra Pradesh Category:Women musicians from Andhra Pradesh Category:People from Kharagpur
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