Remembering Ponnamma: Mollywood's Most Popular Mother Who Worked With Mohanlal, Mammootty & More

Ponnamma: The Malayalam actress, fondly called Ponnamma Chechi (elder sister), passed away aged 80 at a private hospital in Kochi. She had been undergoing treatment for cancer since last May. Hospital sources said she was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Over the years, she garnered critical acclaim for her nuanced portrayals, particularly as the mother of Mohanlal, a role that solidified her as a beloved figure in Malayalam cinema. However, that was not all. She was also a theater veteran before transitioning into films and a singer.

Mohanlal remembers his on-screen mother Ponnamma Chechi

Mohanlal mourned the demise of the veteran actress and said that Ponnamma exuded her maternal warmth through countless roles. "In real life, she was like her character in the movie 'His Highness Abdulla,' who ran to me, calling me her son even though I wasn’t," he added.

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.

A mother to all onscreen

The senior actor was known for her quintessential mother roles to many actors, including legends like Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Mohanlal, Mammootty, Dileep, Prithvi Raj among others. At just 20-years-old, Ponnamma played the mother to renowned actors Sathyan and Madhu in the 1965 film Thommente Makkal, marking the start of a remarkable career in maternal roles.

With an illustrious career spanning six decades, Ponnamma leaves behind a legacy of starring in over hundreds of films, predominantly portraying iconic mother roles.

A lasting legacy

Ponnamma acted in around a thousand films. Her notable films include Asuravithu, Velutha Kathreena, KarakanaKadal, Theerthayathra, Nirmalyam, Chenkol, Bharatham, Santanagopalam, Sukrutham and many more. She also lent her voice as a playback singer in eight films and appeared in over 25 television series.

In addition to her mother's roles, she portrayed diverse characters, including negative roles. She acted in around 1,000 films and even produced the movie Meghatheertham. Ponnamma had won numerous awards including the Kerala state government’s prestigious film awards and she was also popular in the television industry.
 

(With PTI inputs)