Ponnamma Funeral: Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi Bid Emotional Adieu To Mollywood's 'Mother'

Ponnamma Funeral: Malayalam film industry’s most popular screen ‘mother’ Kaviyoor Ponnamma breathed her last at a private hospital in Kochi on Friday evening. Known for her characteristic big, red bindi, Ponnamma was ailing for a while. Reportedly she succumbed to cancer. At her funeral on Saturday, Mollywood veteran stars descended to pay their last respects to the departed at her antim darshan.

Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Mohanlal and others at Ponnamma's funeral

Starting her acting career in Malayalam drama in the late 1950s and later graduating to films, Ponnamma was the most sought-after actress to portray the role of a mother and a grandmother. Mohanlal, who worked with the veteran actress in over 50 films, arrived at her antim darshan.

Also present were actors Jayasurya, Suresh Gopi, Mammootty and others who bid tearful adieu to the beloved Ponnamma Chechi. Visuals from the time show the aforementioned celebs in somber mood as Ponnamma mortal remains was visited by her family members and many others.

Ponnamma's enduring legacy in Mollywood

In her long and distinguished acting career, she worked in over 700 films, mostly Malayalam. She last worked on the big screen in 2022, following which age-related illness caught up with her and the actress was mostly at home.

Her husband passed away in 2011 and she had one daughter who is settled in the US. At the height of her career, Ponnamma faced stiff competition from Sukumari and KPAC Lalitha. However, her scenes with superstar Mohanlal always turned out to be a smashing combination and won the hearts of many and films like Thenmavin Kombathu and Kireedom will go down as all-time hits. Ponnamma and Mohanlal acted in around 50 films together.

(With inputs from news agencies)