THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: She became a mother at the age of 20. Not the biological kind but the reel mother. Kaviyoor Ponnamma was mother to Sathyan and Madhu in the 1965 flick Thommante Makkal and her on-screen sons were far elder to her.
Yet her debut in filmdom was with Malayalam film Srirama Pattabhishekam in 1962, at age 17, in which she played the role of Mandodari. From then on, she grew to become a household name playing character roles that are still remembered for the soft, motherly fragrance they bear.
With a body of work that spans all films, theatre, TV, and good grasp in singing that was a huge plus to her talent, Ponnamma made a prompt mark in the art scene of Malayalam cinema. Her demise thus marks the end of an era in Mollywood where the character of the role determined the finesse of an actor and not his or her star value.
Her entry into movies was probably a natural progression from stage. She debuted on stage when she was just five, showcasing her singing talent. Later, at 13, she began her acting stint with Thoppil Bhasi’s Mooladhanam.
Though she shared screenspace with leading male actors over three decades, her best Momma act was opposite Mohanlal. Some memorable movies they did together were Bharatham, Kireedam, Rajavinte Makan, Namukku Paarkan Munthiri Thoppukal, etc. Her other mother acts that gained applause were in movies such as Nandanam, His Highness Abdullah, Sukrutham, etc.
Her singing talent was also noteworthy with the iconic ‘Ambike jagathambike...’ from Theerthayathra still being one of her evergreens.
Ponnamma has also made her mark on the TV screen with innumerable works to her credit. Her last screen jaunt was in 2022 after which her health gave away. Her acting has fetched her the best actress award four times in her career.