THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Yesteryear Malayalam actress Jameela Malik, died here Tuesday. She was 73. She was the first woman from Kerala to graduate from India's prestigious Film and Television Institute of India. Jameela Malik had a difficult time living in rented houses during her last days.

She has acted in many films in various languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. She was staying in a rented house near Beemapally with her only son. Her roles in ‘Jai Jawan Jai Makhan’ and ‘Vilapa’ were quite memorable. ‘Ragging’ was her first film. She acted as a heroine in films like Aadyathe Katha, Rajahamsam, Lahiri etc. She acted mostly with Vincent, Prem Nazir, Adoor Bhasi and Raghavan. She has acted as a heroine in Tamil films like Lakshmi and Athishayaragam.

She received critical acclaim and appreciation, for all the movies she acted, from the critics and audience as well. She had worked as teacher. She had also acted in more than twenty television serials during the 1990s. She acted in Malayalam and Tamil films in the 1970 and 1980s.

She was born as the eldest among four children to Malik Mohammed and Thankamma Malik at Jonakapuram, Kollam. Both her parents were congress activists. Her father was a municipal councillor and after his death her mother was elected municipal councillor. She has two younger brothers Mluhural Hake and Fasalul Hake and a younger sister, Sara. She studied at Mohammedan Memorial School.