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Sujatha was a popular South Indian actress who has performed in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi language films, and was best known for restraint and subtlety in portrayal of varied emotions. Sujatha was introduced to the Tamil film industry by veteran director K. Balachander as a protagonist in Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974). She has acted with leading actors Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Shobhan Babu and Krishna. She paired with Kamal Haasan in most of her films.

Sujatha was born on 10 December 1952 in Galle, Srilanka where she spent her childhood. She would actively participate in school plays, and later moved to Kerala when she was about 15. She acted in Ernakulam Junction, a Malayalam film and soon drew the attention of K. Balachander.

Sujatha has acted in over 300 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi, with almost 200 in Tamil. She shot to fame instantly with her portrayal of the haughty, free-thinking urban working woman shouldering the family’s responsibilities. She was later paired with actors Sivaji Ganesan, Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan and Vijaykumar. Despite displaying her acting prowess through fiery characters in films like Aval Oru Thodarkadhai and Vidhi, Sujatha was equally known for her performances in family dramas like Mayangugiraal Oru Maadhu, Sentamizh Paattu and Aval Varuvaala. She seldom resorted to glamorous roles and graduated to playing older women in the late 1980s.

Sujatha's entry into the industry was through a powerful role, at a time when hero-centric films were the norm, made many take notice. She made her debut in the Malayalam film Thapasvini. She had a dream debut in Tamil with Aval Oru Thodar Kathai directed by K. Balachander. She again collaborated with K. Balachander in the highly acclaimed Avargal (1977) along with Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. In the film, she played the wife of the former and the lover of the latter. Her portrayal of a married woman Anu, who is caught between the torture she is subjected to by her sadistic husband and the unforgettable memories of her past romance, is till date, considered one of the best performances by a female lead.

During the eighties she started playing character roles, often portraying mother roles. Her performances as a senior actor in films like Kodi Parakuthu, Uzhaippali, Baba in all which she played the mother of Rajinikanth; Villain in which she played Ajith Kumar's mother, also saw her trademark restraint and dignity in performance. Vathiyar (2006) was her last film.