| Ragini | |
| Birth Name: | Ragini |
| Birth Date: | 1937 3, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Trivandrum, Kingdom of Travancore |
| Death Place: | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala |
| Parents: | Thangappan Pillai Saraswathi Amma |
| Children: | Lakshmi Priya |
| Family: | Lalitha (sister) Padmini (sister) |
| Relatives: | Shobana (niece) Ambika Sukumaran Vineeth (nephew) Krishna (grandnephew) |
Ragini (27 March 1937 – 30 December 1976) was an Indian actress and dancer. She was the youngest of the Travancore Sisters; Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini.[1] She started her acting career in the mid-1950s along with her sister Padmini and has acted in movies of different Indian languages, including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. She also starred opposite Shammi Kapoor in film Mujrim (1958). She played the role of Parvati opposite Trilok Kapoor who played Shiva in the 1962 film Shiv Parvati. The era of dance in Hindi cinema is considered to have begun with the entrance of Ragini and other South Indian actresses.[2] Ragini died of breast cancer in 1976. She had acted in many dramas also.[3]
She was married to Madhavan Thampi. The couple had two daughters, Lakshmi and Priya.[3] Actress Sukumari was the trio's maternal first cousin. Malayalam actors Shobana, Ambika Sukumaran, Vineeth and Krishna are her relatives. Her husband left for the US in 1972, but returned after his wife became ill from cancer.
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Naya Admi | |||
| 1957 | Qaidi | |||
| 1957 | Beti | |||
| 1957 | Payal | Indira | ||
| 1957 | Mr. X | Ragini | ||
| 1958 | Sitamgar | |||
| 1958 | Mujrim | Uma | ||
| 1958 | Amar Deep | Champa | ||
| 1959 | Amar Shaheed | |||
| 1960 | Kalpana | Asha | ||
| 1960 | Aai Phirse Bahar | |||
| 1962 | Shiv Parvati | Parvati Devi | ||
| 1963 | Shikari | Rita | Lead Role | |
| 1963 | Kinare Kinare | Bharatanatyam Dancer | Uncredited | |
| 1963 | Naag Rani | Princess Anjana | ||
| 1963 | Gehra Daag | Dancer / Singer | ||
| 1963 | Yeh Dil Kisko Doon | Sherry | ||
| 1964 | Awara Badal | Aarti | ||
| 1965 | Aadhi Raat Ke Baad | Ragini | ||
| 1976 | Jai Jagat Janani | |||
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Beedala Patlu | Dancer | ||
| 1955 | Santosham | Dancer | ||
| 1956 | Charana Daasi | Dancer | ||
| 1957 | Varudu Kavali | Dancer | ||
| 1961 | Taxi Ramudu | Mohini | ||
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Nrityeri Tale Tale | Lone Bengali film | ||
| Year | Film | Role | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Suneetha | Choreography also | ||
| 1956 | Surathali | |||