Adoor Pankajam
Encyclopedia
Adoor Pankajam was an India
n actress, in Malayalam movies
. She hailed from Adoor
in Pathanamthitta
district of Kerala
state. Mainly, she was a supporting actress, and a comedian
. Her sister Adoor Bhavani
was also a Malayalam cinema actress.
Pankajam's most noted performance was in the national award
winning film Chemmeen
as Nalla Pennu. She also did a pivotal role in India's first neo-realistic film
Newspaper Boy
(1955). In 2008, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy honoured Pankajam and Bhavani
for their overall contributions to theatre and drama.
She died on 26 June 2010.
also became famous later through plays and movies.
She could only study till 4th standard due to financial difficulties. But still she continued her music studies under Panthalam Krishnapillai Bhagavathar till the age of 11. By this time, she has done musical kacheri in most of the temples around her village.
At 12, she started acting in Kannur Kerala Kalanilayam troupe against the will of her parents. She acted in their play Madhumadhurayam in over 300 stages. Her next play was Rakthabhandham by a theater in Chengannoor. In this play, she did a comic role which was widely accepted.
She met Devarajan Potti, the owner of Kollam Bharatha Kalachandrika while she was working with this troupe and later got married to him. Potti later started another troupe called Parthasarathy Theaters and during her tenure with this troupe, she got invitation to act in movies.
She has a son named Ajayan, who is a cinema/TV serial actor.
starrer Kunjikoonan
. She has acted in over 400 films during her career.
In 1976 she and her sister Adoor Bhavani
started a Theater troupe called Adoor Jaya Theaters. But later the sisters got split up and Bhavani left the Theater. Pankajam went on with the theater with her husband Devarajan Potti and she kept the Theater active for over 18 years.
In 2008, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy honoured Pankajam and Bhavani
for their overall contributions to theatre and drama.. She has also received Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress
for her performance in the movie Sabarimala Ayyappan.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n actress, in Malayalam movies
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
. She hailed from Adoor
Adoor
Adoor is a town and a municipality near Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala state, India, spread over an area of 20.42 km2. The town is located midway between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam. It is among one of the three municipalities in Pathanamthitta district.-Etymology:It is...
in Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
district of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
state. Mainly, she was a supporting actress, and a comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
. Her sister Adoor Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani was an Indian actress in Malayalam movies, best-known for her appearance in the National Award-winning film Chemmeen , directed by Ramu Kariat. She had acted in about 450 films, including Mudiyanaya Puthran, Thulabharam, Kallichellamma, and Anubhavangal Paalichakal. Her last film...
was also a Malayalam cinema actress.
Pankajam's most noted performance was in the national award
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
winning film Chemmeen
Chemmeen
Chemmeen is a 1965 Malayalam romantic drama film based on the highly acclaimed novel of the same name by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai and directed by Ramu Kariat from a screenplay by S. L...
as Nalla Pennu. She also did a pivotal role in India's first neo-realistic film
Neorealism (art)
In art, neorealism was established by the ex-Camden Town Group painters Charles Ginner and Harold Gilman at the beginning of World War I. They set out to explore the spirit of their age through the shapes and colours of daily life...
Newspaper Boy
Newspaper Boy (film)
Newspaper Boy is a 1955 Malayalam film written and directed by P. Ramdas. It was the first neo-realistic film in India. It stars Neyyattinkara Komalam, Adoor Pankajam, Omana Madhavan, P. Gangadharan, S. Parameswaran, P. Ramdas, N. Subramanian, Master Mani and Master Venkiteswaran...
(1955). In 2008, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy honoured Pankajam and Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani was an Indian actress in Malayalam movies, best-known for her appearance in the National Award-winning film Chemmeen , directed by Ramu Kariat. She had acted in about 450 films, including Mudiyanaya Puthran, Thulabharam, Kallichellamma, and Anubhavangal Paalichakal. Her last film...
for their overall contributions to theatre and drama.
She died on 26 June 2010.
Personal life
Adoor Pankajam was born to Adoor Paarappurathu Kunjuraman Pillai and Kunjoonjamma in 1925 and was the second child of 8 children. Her sister Adoor BhavaniAdoor Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani was an Indian actress in Malayalam movies, best-known for her appearance in the National Award-winning film Chemmeen , directed by Ramu Kariat. She had acted in about 450 films, including Mudiyanaya Puthran, Thulabharam, Kallichellamma, and Anubhavangal Paalichakal. Her last film...
also became famous later through plays and movies.
She could only study till 4th standard due to financial difficulties. But still she continued her music studies under Panthalam Krishnapillai Bhagavathar till the age of 11. By this time, she has done musical kacheri in most of the temples around her village.
At 12, she started acting in Kannur Kerala Kalanilayam troupe against the will of her parents. She acted in their play Madhumadhurayam in over 300 stages. Her next play was Rakthabhandham by a theater in Chengannoor. In this play, she did a comic role which was widely accepted.
She met Devarajan Potti, the owner of Kollam Bharatha Kalachandrika while she was working with this troupe and later got married to him. Potti later started another troupe called Parthasarathy Theaters and during her tenure with this troupe, she got invitation to act in movies.
She has a son named Ajayan, who is a cinema/TV serial actor.
Career
She started her acting career with the stage play Madhu Madhuryam by Kalanilayam Theaters. Her first movie was Premalekhanam produced by Pappa Soman. But her first movie which got released was Vishappinte Vila directed by Boban Kunchacko. Her last movie was the DileepDileep (actor)
Dileep is an Indian film actor, mimicry artist and producer best known for his work in Malayalam cinema.Dileep started his career as a mimicry artist in the Cochin Kalabhavan troupe. He later started his film career as an assistant director to Kamal with the film Vishnu Lokam...
starrer Kunjikoonan
Kunjikoonan
Kunjikoonan is a 2002 Malayalam film, made in India, by Sasi Shankar and starring Dileep and Navya Nair. Dileep played dual roles in this movie.This movie was later remade to Tamil as Perazhagan, starring Surya Sivakumar and Jyothika Saravanan...
. She has acted in over 400 films during her career.
In 1976 she and her sister Adoor Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani was an Indian actress in Malayalam movies, best-known for her appearance in the National Award-winning film Chemmeen , directed by Ramu Kariat. She had acted in about 450 films, including Mudiyanaya Puthran, Thulabharam, Kallichellamma, and Anubhavangal Paalichakal. Her last film...
started a Theater troupe called Adoor Jaya Theaters. But later the sisters got split up and Bhavani left the Theater. Pankajam went on with the theater with her husband Devarajan Potti and she kept the Theater active for over 18 years.
In 2008, Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy honoured Pankajam and Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani
Adoor Bhavani was an Indian actress in Malayalam movies, best-known for her appearance in the National Award-winning film Chemmeen , directed by Ramu Kariat. She had acted in about 450 films, including Mudiyanaya Puthran, Thulabharam, Kallichellamma, and Anubhavangal Paalichakal. Her last film...
for their overall contributions to theatre and drama.. She has also received Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress
Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress
The Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress winners:-References:**...
for her performance in the movie Sabarimala Ayyappan.
Selected filmography
- KathapurushanKathapurushanKathapurushan is an award-winning feature film directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The film is in Malayalam. It stars Vishwanathan, Mini Nair, Aranmula Ponnamma, Narendra Prasad and Urmila Unni. It won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Film at the National Film Awards in 1996...
(1996) - Alanchery Thambrakal (1995) .... Kettilamma
- Aye AutoAye AutoAye Auto is an Indian film in Malayalam language by Venu Nagavalli starring Mohanlal and Rekha. The film is about the life of auto drivers in the city of Calicut.-Plot:...
(1990) - Anantaram (1987)
- Acharam Ammini Osaram Omana (1977)
- ChemmeenChemmeenChemmeen is a 1965 Malayalam romantic drama film based on the highly acclaimed novel of the same name by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai and directed by Ramu Kariat from a screenplay by S. L...
(1965) - Newspaper BoyNewspaper Boy (film)Newspaper Boy is a 1955 Malayalam film written and directed by P. Ramdas. It was the first neo-realistic film in India. It stars Neyyattinkara Komalam, Adoor Pankajam, Omana Madhavan, P. Gangadharan, S. Parameswaran, P. Ramdas, N. Subramanian, Master Mani and Master Venkiteswaran...
(1955)