Nostalgic Nuggets: This Guinness Record holder was top-class!

Not many will recognise her if she is addressed by her original name Gopishantha. That's because she was known as Manorama, from the time she was launched under the arc lights in 1958 by noted lyricist Kannadasan in Tamil.

Over the years she not only became an actress but was also known for her singing and comic timing which made her pair with many comedians of her time, spread across five generations. In her nearly 50-year long career, she acted in more than 1500 films in various languages including Hindi and Sinhalese. She also sang over 300 songs as a playback singer, making her a powerhouse of talent, hard to find in today's film world.

Her humorous scenes with Kamal Haasan, another natural onscreen and the emotional roles she essayed in films of Rajinikanth are well-known across the southern film markets where many of her films were seen in the dubbed form. Today is Manorama's 83rd birth anniversary.