Widow of late Tamil superstar dies in penury

Chennai, Aug 15 (IANS) Rajammal, 90, the poverty-stricken widow of the first superstar of Tamil cinema M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, died after a brief illness Friday, family sources said.

Bhagavathar lost his entire wealth following a conviction in a murder case along with comedian N.S. Krishnan in the 1940s.

Though the duo won the consequent appeal and attempted comebacks, the ventures bombed at the box office, leaving them worse off.

Bhagavathar had acted in 16 films of which 'Haridas' ran continuously in a single cinema for more than three years.

Rajammal lived in penury after Bhagavathar died in 1959 and the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA) tried to help her during her autumn years, industry sources added.

SIAA secretary M.R. Radha Ravi paid the film industry's respects as flames consumed Rajammal's mortal remains late Friday.