Malayalam star, known for her glamorous roles, was murdered at 24 along with her mother; decomposed bodies were discovered days later

Born in 1962 in Anna Nagar, Chennai, to Chowdhary and Indira Kumari, Rani Padmini’s fate in cinema had been written even before she was born. Despite her own aspirations to become a movie star and relocation to Madras (now Chennai) in pursuit of that dream, Indira Kumari never managed to achieve it. While working as a dubbing artiste, she grew close to Chowdhary and gave birth to Rani. Rani was born and raised entirely in Chennai. Although Indira kept trying her best to enter cinema, she was unsuccessful. Thus, the dream that her daughter should achieve what she herself could not became Indira’s driving motivation.

According to Manorama Online, by the time Rani was a teenager, Indira moved with stunningly beautiful daughter to Mumbai. The goal was for Rani to shine as a lead actor in Bollywood. However, despite their efforts, she did not receive the opportunities they had hoped for. Indira then brought her daughter back to the South and began looking for roles here. Soon, Rani made her Malayalam debut in director Mohan’s Kathayariyathe (1981). That same year, she appeared in films such as Thenum Vayambum, Thushaaram and Parankimala. However, it was Sangharsham (1981), which featured a controversial scene where her character is brutally raped by the villain, played by Balan K Nair, that brought her some attention.

Rani Padmini in Aasha. (Credit: 20cmoviestars.weebly.com)

Between 1981 and 1986, Rani Padmini acted in about 61 films, in Tamil and Kannada as well. Reportedly, as Indira spread word among directors that her daughter was willing to “expose herself” in any way required, opportunities began to pour in. Once they amassed enough wealth and fame, the mother-daughter duo rented a luxurious bungalow on 18th Avenue in Anna Nagar and moved there. Feeling secure financially, they decided to hire household help, without knowing that this decision would change their lives forever.

They advertised in leading newspapers for three workers to take on the positions of watchman, cook and driver. The first to join was Jebaraj, who became their driver. In the subsequent days, according to The Hindu, two more people joined, Lakshmi Narasimhan and Ganeshan, who took over as watchman and cook, respectively.

Rani Padmini in Marupacha. (Credit: 20cmoviestars.weebly.com)

Rani Padmini and mother found murdered

While she was flying high, Rani Padmini and Indira Kumari were found murdered on the afternoon of October 19, 1986. Tragically, their bodies were discovered in a highly decomposed state, as the incident had taken place days earlier. Apart from their murders, an imported Nissan car that Rani had bought in Mumbai was also missing from the garage, and so were the driver and another househelp. The incident occurred just as she and her mother were gearing up to purchase the bungalow and were about to finalise the deal. Tragically, their bodies remained in the general hospital mortuary for 10 days, unclaimed, until Indira’s brother arrived.

During the investigation, the police concluded that Jebaraj, along with Lakshmi Narasimhan and Ganeshan, committed the brutal murders for monetary gain. The actor and her mother had hired them without any proper background checks, and Jebaraj was connected to many vehicle theft cases. Aside from that, Indira had reportedly slapped Jebaraj for misbehaving with Rani and told him not to come to work again, which created animosity and allegedly led him to conspire with the other two.

Rani Padmini in Akkare. (Credit: 20cmoviestars.weebly.com)

On the day of the murders, Rani and Indira had withdrawn money from the bank for the bungalow deal. The three accused, learning about this, reportedly decided to kill them and share the money and the jewellery. Indira and Rani, Manorama Online reported, had the habit of drinking, and on that fateful night too, they drank before going to bed. The next morning, Rani woke up feeling hungry and went to the kitchen. Seizing the opportunity, Jebaraj, who had been hiding, stabbed Indira to death. Although Rani came running at her mother’s screams, she was horrified by the sight. She tried to escape but was overpowered. Rani’s body bore 12 stab wounds to the stomach, neck and chest; her mother’s had 14.

Although the accused initially fled, they were eventually apprehended. In March 1989, a district sessions court sentenced them to death for murdering Rani Padmini and her mother. Later, the Madras High Court acquitted Lakshmi Narasimhan and Ganeshan and reduced Jebaraj’s death sentence to life imprisonment. However, the Supreme Court eventually restored Lakshmi Narasimhan’s conviction for murder, though it commuted his sentence to life. Ganeshan disappeared after he was acquitted by the HC. Eventually, Lakshmi was released, as by 2008 he had served seven years in prison, making him eligible for premature release under a state scheme. Jebaraj reportedly died in prison.

Rani Padmini was one of many female actors whose existence was toyed with by both cinema and life.