Actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma passes away

Malayalam actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma passed away after prolonged illness at a private hospital here on Friday.The 80-year-old actress was admitted to the hospital after her condition became serious a few days ago.

The cremation will take place at her house premises at Aluva on Saturday at 4 pm. The body will be kept at Kalamasserry Municipal Town Hall from 9 am to 12 noon on Saturday for the public to pay homage.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, opposition leader VD Satheesan, and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala condoled the demise of the actress.She began her career performing in theatre dramas before foraying into cinema. She has also acted in TV serials and commercials and has playback singing credits in a few films.

She was a four-time Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress winner. Her sister Kaviyoor Renuka was also an actress.

Often called the mother to all actors, she has acted as the mother of almost all actors in her career panning over decades. At the age of 20, she played the mother of actors Sathyan and Madhu in the 1965 movie Thommente Makkal. She gained critical acclaim for acting as the mother of the actor Mohanlal.

She was married to film producer Maniswami in 1969. The couple has a daughter, Bindhu, who is married and settled in the United States. Her husband Maniswami died in 2011. (UNI)<>