PALAKKAD: Sarada Nair, 92, of Moopil Madom, Perur, who rose to fame after enacting a grandmother’s role in the hit Malayalam movie Kanmadam, died here on Tuesday. The wife of the late Padmanabhan Nair, of Kadambari, Thattamangalam, she is survived by children Shakunthala, Chandramohan, and Jayamala, and children-in-law Ramesh, Vivek, and Rathi. Chandramohan said his mother died at 1.30am and was cremated at Ivor Madom in Thiruvilwamala before noon.
The earthy and pleasant smile of Sarada in Kanmadam is etched in the memory of every Malayalam film enthusiast. The song ‘Manjakiliyude Moolipattunde’, which featured her alongside Mohanlal, had also become a huge hit.In the 1998 film directed by Lohithadas, Sarada acted as the grandmother of the lead female character, Bhanu, essayed by Manju Warrrier.
“Lohithadas had come looking for a woman who lived in Sarada’s neighbourhood. But he found the woman unsuitable for the role. That was when he chanced upon Sarada. He asked her if she was interested, and she agreed,” said Sivadas Madathil, her neighbour. A year later, she donned the role of a grandmother again in Pattabhishekham, alongside Jayaram and Mohini.