Initially featured as a child dancer, Kamala appeared in almost 100 Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films throughout her career.

At an early age Kamala began taking lessons in the Kathak dance style from Lachhu Maharaj in Bombay and Bharatnatyam.

He cast her in small roles in his films Valibar Sangham (1938) and Ramanama Mahimai (1939) where she was billed as Kamala.

[2] Her dancing was noticed by other filmmakers and she moved to Hindi films with Jailor in 1938 and Kismet and Ram Rajya in 1943.

Kamala's first role in a successful Tamil film came in 1944 with Jagathalapratapan where she performed the Paampu attam.

Nam Iruvar was full of patriotism and Gandhian songs, and its dances helped to revitalize and legitimize Bharatanatyam.

[citation needed] The second marriage produced one child, a son named Jainand Narayan, who is an officer in the United States Army.