Veteran Actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma Passes Away at 79

Kochi: Eminent Malayalam actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma, renowned for her prolific performances as a mother figure in the Malayalam film industry, passed away at the age of 79. She was under treatment at a private hospital in Kochi due to age-related illnesses. Ponnamma had been receiving care in the intensive care unit for several days prior to her demise.

Kaviyoor Ponnamma’s film career spanned over five decades, and she became synonymous with maternal roles in Malayalam cinema. She made her first appearance in the film ‘Sreerama Pattabhishekam’ (1962), where she portrayed the character Mandodari, Ravana’s wife, based on the epic Ramayana. Her debut in a mother role was in the film ‘Kudumbini’, where she played the mother to actors Sathyan and Madhu.

Ponnamma’s portrayal of diverse characters, ranging from melodramatic roles to comedic ones, was highly acclaimed. One of her early significant films was ‘Nirmalyam’ (1973), directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, where she played the lead character’s wife, earning critical acclaim for her performance.

Kaviyoor Ponnamma was born on January 6, 1944, in Kaviyoor, Pathanamthitta district, as the daughter of T. P. Damodaran and Gouri. She was married to film producer M. K. Maniswami, and the couple had a daughter named Bindu. Her sister, Kaviyoor Renuka, is also an actress.

Kaviyoor Ponnamma first entered the performance arts as a singer before transitioning to acting through stage plays. Her career in cinema included over a thousand films, where she often played mother to leading actors such as Prem Nazir, Mammootty, and Mohanlal. Besides acting, she also excelled as a singer, contributing her voice to several films.

Her demise marks the end of an era as she was a pivotal figure and a household name in Malayalam cinema, remembered dearly by fans and colleagues for her versatility and a career replete with memorable roles.