Malayalam film fraternity mourns the loss of Kaviyoor Ponnamma

Veteran actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma’s demise on Friday (Sep 20) evening, has left the Malayalam film industry devastated. The 79-year-old actress breathed her last at a private hospital in Kochi, Kerala, where she was admitted a few days after her ill health.

Superstar Mohanlal, who has acted with Kaviyoor Ponnamma as her on-screen son in several movies including ‘Kireedam’, ‘Vietnam Colony’, ‘Dasharatham’ and ‘Bharatham’ among others was devastated to learn about her demise. In a note shared on Facebook, the superstar stated that he never had to ‘act’ as a son, as he was ‘living’ those parts. He dropped a loving picture of her kissing him affectionately to remember her.

Mammootty too dropped a lovely picture of her giving him a peck on his cheek.

Actor Suresh Gopi turned emotional as he paid homage to the veteran actress.

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) paid an emotional tribute via their social media handle and said, “Embedded in our memory playing the mother in Malayalam Cinema, we salute the achievements of Kaviyur Ponnamma. For the last 65 years we have seen her light up the screen with numerous performances. Winning accolades and awards , including the Kerala State Award, she earned the respect of all. Inspite of many odds she had a glorious career. We pay our respects to a great actor, Kaviyoor Ponnamma.”


The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) Directors Union celebrated her work and life as they paid tribute to Kaviyoor Ponnamma. Kaviyoor Ponnamma, who debuted in films in the 1950s is a household name to the movie buffs in Kerala, thanks to the countless mother roles she portrayed on screen. In her illustrious career spanning over six decades, she has worked in over 700 films and has won several accolades including the Kerala State Film Awards four times.

Kaviyoor Ponnamma’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday, September 21. Her body will be kept at Kalamassery Municipal Townhall on Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm for the public to pay homage, after which it will be taken to her residence in Aluva, where the cremation will be held on the premises.
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