Ranganayaki (1981 film)
1981 film by Puttanna Kanagal
Ranganayaki (transl. The Heroine of the Stage) is a 1981 Indian Kannada language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal starring Aarathi, Ambareesh, Ramakrishna, Ashok, Rajanand. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Ashwattha.
Plot
Ranganayaki is a theater artiste who plays the lead female role in all the plays staged by the drama company owned by her foster-father. When a rich man, Nagaraja, falls in love with her, she marries him and draws the curtain on her career. The drama company falls on tough times after her departure. On one occasion, when the drama company faces an emergency with the new actress absconding, Ranganayaki dons the grease paint to save her father's reputation. This one act ends her marriage, and her husband leaves town with their year-old son.
Ranganayaki returns to theater but with the death of her father, and in the face of mounting losses is forced to close the drama company. Supported by her foster-brother Ramanna she goes onto become a popular movie heroine 'Mala'. Twenty years later, Shekhar, a college student, not only becomes her most ardent fan but also becomes besotted by her.
“Ranganayaki (1981 film)” enters the record as 1981 film by Puttanna Kanagal. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Ranganayaki, film and Puttanna can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7292631. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1981.
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