I can’t bear the heat, please finish the shoot quickly,” Sumithra told Rajini. 

Actress Sumithra was born in Thrissur, Kerala. She became famous in the 1970s, acting in South Indian language films alongside leading heroes. She has also played the role of a mother to many of the actors she once worked with as a co-star. Sumithra has acted in over a hundred Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam films.

She has expressed that it was a blessing to have worked with legendary actors like Sivaji, Kamal, and Rajini, and she cannot forget how Sivaji Ganesan, the actor known as ‘Nadigar Thilagam,’ taught her to act.

Here is the interview she gave to Indiaglitz viewers:

“My first film was a Malayalam movie called Nirmalyam. At that time, I was 14 years old and didn’t even understand what romance meant. It was a film that won the National Award. After watching that movie, they decided to cast me in Tamil films. They came all the way to Nilambur, a village in Kerala, to sign me.

I have a great passion for languages, so I quickly learned Tamil and Kannada. When I dubbed for myself in Kannada, everyone there was surprised.

The film Annan Oru Kovil with Sivaji Ganesan was a very challenging role. I can’t forget the courtroom scene where I played his sister. He would tell me how to act in that scene—how much gap to leave between each word, and he gave me many such tips. It was all a blessing for me.

In Singara Velan, I played Kamal’s mother. When he would call me ‘Sumi’ or ‘Sumi’, I just couldn’t bear it when he started calling me ‘Mom’.

In the movie Panakkaran, there was a final scene where Rajini had to hug me and cry. He couldn’t bring himself to call me ‘Mom’. We had to shoot that scene multiple times, and only after changing my position could we finally get it right.

Today, double roles are shot with ease, but during my time, there wasn’t so much technology. I had to work hard for such roles. In the film Kadavul Amaitha Medai, I played a double role.

Ajith sir doesn’t behave like a typical hero. He is very affectionate with everyone. He would send chicken soup to my caravan at 11 a.m. daily. Who else does things like this? The way he interacts with the people at his home is the same way he treats us.

She shared many such stories in this interview.”