Kaviyoor Ponnamma, (79) a veteran actor who has acted in more than 700 Malayalam films over the last 60 years, passed away in Kochi. She was suffering from age-related ailments and multiple organ dysfunction and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the last week.
Born in Kaviyoor, a village in Pathanamthitta in 1945, Ponnamma began her artistic journey as a trained singer, honing her craft for 10 years. However, destiny led her to acting, where she would embody the quintessential Malayali mother- loving, kind, and compassionate.
At just 14, Ponnamma was invited to act in Thoppil Bhasi's drama, Mooladhanam, in the late 1950s. Her Malayalam film debut followed in 1964 with Kudumbini, directed by Sasi Kumar, where she played a mother. This role would become a defining aspect of her six-decade-long career.
Through iconic characters like Sharada teacher in Amma Ammayiamma (1998), Unni Amma in Nandanam (2002), and Meenakshiamma in Baba Kalyani (2006), Ponnamma showcased the selfless love and forgiveness of mothers. Although typecast as a mother figure, she explored negative roles in films like Thinkalazhcha Nalla Divasam (1985), Oppol (1981), and Karinizhal (1971), acknowledging later that these roles drew criticism.
In an interview, Ponnamma revealed that she had dubbed for all her characters, believing that no one else could bring her roles to life. Her most recent film appearances were in Ammachikoottile Pranayakalam and Aanum Pennum (2021).
The actor has also bagged the state film awards four times; in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1994 for several films. She sang for a few films and appeared in about 20 television serials despite being a busy artist who appeared in one film after another.
Ponnamma was married to Maniswami, who was a film producer and the couple has a daughter Bindhu Maniswami. Though in films she has played the roles of selfless and caring mothers, Ponnamma was practical and modern in her thoughts about life and marriage. She held the opinion that staying in a marriage that had failed does not make sense and was separated from her husband later.