Actress who made a mark with her mother roles; Kaviyoor Ponnamma no more

KOCHI: Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Malayalee's favorite actress, has passed away at the age of 79. She died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kochi for age-related ailments. She was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of the hospital for the past few days. Kaviyoor Ponnamma, who took a break from acting for the past few years, was leading a retired life at her residence in Karumallur.

Kaviyoor Ponnamma is an indian actress who is known for playing mother role to most of the Malayalam stars in a career spanning over 60 years. She has played the mother role of actors from Prem Nazir to the new generation of actors. Kaviyoor Ponnamma made her debut in Malayalam cinema in 1962 with the film Sreeraama Pattaabhishekam. She played the role of Mandodari, the wife of Ravana, in the film, which is based on Ramayana.

Ponnamma, who started learning music at a young age, entered the stage of drama at the age of 14. Thoppil Bhasi's 'Mooladhanam' was one of the plays Ponnamma was part of her early days.

The actress has won many awards including four state film awards. Kaviyoor Ponnamma won the second best actress award in 1971, 1972 and 1973 and then in 1994. The actress has acted in more than 400 films.

Along with films, Kaviyoor Ponnamma was also active in television serials. Ponnamma has also proved her talent in the field of film and drama playback singing. Kaviyoor Ponnamma was married to producer Maniswamy. Maniswamy passed away in 2011. Their daughter Bindu lives in the US.