Sundari Bai was born in
Madurai in 1923, and belonged to the
Saurashtra community. A family friend persuaded her parents to send her to Bombay (now
Mumbai). In the 1930s, she appeared in an advertisement film. Sundari Bai joined Gemini as staff artiste. She appeared in a major role in Gemini's first Tamil production
Madanakamarajan (1941). She played a slum girl in
Nandanar (1942), while her role as a maid in
Dasi Aparanji (1944) elevated her fame. She later fell in love with
Kothamangalam Subbu, another member of the Gemini staff who was a writer, actor, and director, and married him. In 1945, Sundari Bai played the lead in
Kannamma En Kadhali, a
World War II film written by Subbu. In 1947, Gemini produced the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful
Miss Malini, written and directed by Subbu, who also played the male lead. Sundari Bai acted and sang two songs in this film that became hits. She later went on to act in various films including
Chandralekha,
Samsaram,
Moondru Pillaigal,
Avvaiyar,
Valliyin Selvan,
Enga Veettu Mahalakshmi,
Vanjikottai Valiban,
Deivapiravi,
Naan Kanda Sorgam,
Padikkadha Medhai,
Paadhai Theriyudhu Paar and
Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal. ==Filmography==