THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five films in four years, the first heroine of evergreen hero Prem Nazir. The life of the late actress Neyyattinkara Komalam alias Komala Menon is like a movie story. Neyyattinkara Komalam unexpectedly bid adieu to the film industry just like how she had entered the industry. That too reluctantly. Komalam's career was short, starting in 1951 and ending in 1955.

Komalam's acting career came to a halt midway due to opposition from the conservative society of the time. She tried to make a comeback after a long gap but did not get the attention she deserved in the changed times. Komalam was the fifth of seven children of Public Works Department official Pankajaksha Menon, a native of Neyyattinkara, and Kunjiamma, a teacher. Her father died at the age of five. Later, she was under the care of her uncles.

She completed her 10th standard from St. Teresa's English Convent School, Neyyattinkara. Through her brother-in-law Kaiyalam Krishnan Nair, who was a theatre manager, she got the opportunity to act in the film 'Nalla Thanka', but could not act. In 1951, she was invited to play the female lead in the first Malayalam forest film 'Vanamala'. She overcame all the obstacles and entered the field of acting.

In 1952, she became the younger sister of the heroine in 'Aathmasanthi'. She got the opportunity to act in 'Marumakal' while returning home after completing the shooting of Aathmasanthi in Madras. When she reached Ratna Studios in Salem, she met Abdul Khader, the hero of the film. After a week of shooting, Komalam returned home. Abdul Khader later became Prem Nazir. Komalam was 16 years old when she starred in Marumakal. Nazir was 22.

In 1954, Komalam starred opposite MGR's brother MG Chakrapani in the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam film 'Sandehi' directed by F Nagoor. In 1955, when Komalam was a part of P Ramdas's directorial debut 'Newspaper Boy', she bid adieu to acting at the age of 21 due to opposition from family and society.

At the age of 35, Komalam was married to her father's nephew M Chandrasekhara Menon. Komalam later tried to return to cinema, but all the roles she got in her second coming became unimportant. She played minor roles in films such as 'Aradhana' in 1977 and 'Aa Penkutty Nee Aayirunnenkil' in 1985. With that, Komalam gave up her passion for cinema halfway through like an unfinished role she had acted in.