Veteran Malayalam actor Kaviyoor Ponnamma dies in Kochi

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan paid their tributes.

Veteran actor Kaviyoor Ponnamma who had been admitted to a private hospital here earlier this month, died on Friday, September 20, aged 80 years.

She was under treatment for cancer which was detected during a check up in May. By then, the cancer had entered its fourth stage. She was admitted to the hospital on September 3, for follow-up treatment and check ups, when her condition deteriorated on Thursday and the end came on Friday, hospital sources said.

She graduated to movies from drama and became popular for the mother and grandmother roles that she portrayed ever since she began acting on screen in the early 1960s. She went on to act in serials as well. She won the State award for best supporting actor four times.

The actor was residing with her younger brother at Karumallur, in the suburbs of Kochi. Her husband pre deceased her, while her daughter is settled in the US.

Condolences

Those who condoled her death include Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan. In his message, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday condoled the death of Kaviyoor Ponnamma, stating that an important chapter in Malayalam cinema and theatre has come to a close with her passing. He recalled Ponnamma’s association with the Kerala People’s Arts Club (KPAC) in the early days of her career.

Through her mother roles in films, the veteran actor found a permanent place in the hearts of Keralites, Mr. Vijayan said. Her contributions were not confined to the world of cinema, but extended to theatre and television as well, he said. Her fine portrayal of maternal roles strengthened her bond with Keralites, Mr. Vijayan said.

Condoling the actor’s death, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said Ponnamma embodied the mother figure for Malayalam filmgoers. In a career spanning close to six-and-a-half decades, she gave a distinct flavour to the characters that she portrayed, he said. She even acted as mother of veteran actors like Satyan and Prem Nazir.

Her body will be kept at the Kalamassery Municipal Town Hall for members of the public to pay their last respect., from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, September 21. The cremation will be done at her house in Aluva.

Published - September 20, 2024 08:06 pm IST