Mn rajam biography of williams

Musical artist

Thiruvananthapuram Kannuswamy Shanmugam (1912–1973; also known as "Avvai" T. K. Shanmugam) was a Tamil theatre and film artist. He acquired the prefix "Avvai" after portraying saint-poet Avvaiyar in a play.^[2]

Early life

T.K.

Shanmugam was born on 26 April 1912 to Tamil parents in Thiruvananthapuram, in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore. His family came from Nagercoil,^[1] (in present-day Kanyakumari District).

Career

T.K.

Mn rajam biography of williams

Shanmugam's family had a background in theatre and acting. At the age of six, Shanmugam joined the troupe of the legendary Sankaradas Swamigal, considered the father of Tamil theatre.^[1] At the time, women did not normally venture into the field of acting, and thus it was difficult to find women to play female roles in theatre.

To overcome this, Swamigal's troupe made males to play female roles. Thus, T.K. Shanmugam acted in both male and female roles.

In later years, he went on