The Malayalam film industry was left heartbroken as veteran actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma passed away on Friday at a private hospital here. With a remarkable career spanning over six decades, Ponnamma, 80, was beloved for her iconic portrayals of motherly characters. Actor Mohanlal took to Facebook to share a heartfelt note, remembering the late Ponnamma, who had played his on-screen mother in over 50 films.
Over the years, she garnered critical acclaim for her nuanced portrayals, particularly as the mother of Mohanlal, a role that solidified her as a beloved figure in Malayalam cinema. “My dear Ponnamma Chechi always showered a mother’s love on my characters and me, both on and off the screen. We were a mother and son to our beloved Malayalam audiences.
Many of our movies stand as a testament to the fact that a son is always a son to his mother,” said Mohanlal. The actor said that he never had to act like Ponnamma Chechi’s son. “I was truly living those roles,” he said in a Facebook post, which he shared along with a picture of him kissing her.
Mohanlal also said that Ponnamma exuded her maternal warmth through countless roles. “In real life, she was like her character in the movie ‘His Highness Abdulla,’ who ran to me, calling me her son even though I wasn’t,” he added. The senior actor is known for her quintessential mother roles to many actors, including legends like Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Mohanlal, Mammootty, Dileep, Prithvi Raj among others.
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