Aranmula Ponnamma
Encyclopedia
Aranmula Ponnamma was a National Award winning Malayalam film actress known for her roles as mother of the protagonist in numerous films. She was widely described as a mother figure in Malayalam cinema.
, Pathanamthitta
, Travancore
. She started her career at the age of 12 as a Carnatic music
vocalist. She began by singing before meetings organised by the Hindu Mahamandal on the banks of the Pampa
river. At the age of 15, she was appointed as a music teacher in a primary school in Pala, before starting to teach in the senior classes. Later she joined the first batch of students at the Swati Tirunal Music Academy. After the course, she was appointed as the music teacher in Cotton Hill Girls' High School in Trivandrum.
, a prominemt actress at that time in Sasidharan (1950). The same year she did another mother role in the Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
starrer Amma, which was the first film of noted producer T. E. Vasudevan and also the 18th Malayalam film. She was typecasted in mother roles. In her own words: "I did play a negative role in Paadunna Puzha and that of a wayward woman in Yachakan. But after that I was always cast as the mother. As the mother of two children, I was very comfortable in that role. My role model was my mother, Parukutty Amma, who had to look after her five children on her own after my father, Malethu Kesava Pillai, passed away when I was nine. In fact, in Amma, my fifth film, I was merely acting as my mother." In her career spanning over 60 years, she acted as the mother or grandmother of first generation actors like Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
, second generation actors like Prem Nazir
and Sathyan
and third generation actors like Mammootty
, Mohanlal
and Suresh Gopi
.
She appeared last in the film Janathipathyam (1997). She died on 21 February 2011, aged 96, at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram
.
for best supporting actress for her performance in Kathapurushan
(1995), directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
. In 1998, she was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Asianet
. She was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award for Lifetime Achievement
in 2006. She received the Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai
Award in 2010.
Early life
Ponnamma was born as one of five children of Malethu Kesava Pillai and Parukutty Amma in AranmulaAranmula
Aranmula is about 128 km from Trivandrum, capital city of Kerala, the south western state in India. It is situated on the banks of the river Pampa. Traditions, cultural variations, traditional village life, sceneries are unique for Aranmula. It is a suburb of Kozhencherry in Pathanamthitta...
, 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...
, Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
. She started her career at the age of 12 as a Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
vocalist. She began by singing before meetings organised by the Hindu Mahamandal on the banks of the Pampa
Pampa
The Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul...
river. At the age of 15, she was appointed as a music teacher in a primary school in Pala, before starting to teach in the senior classes. Later she joined the first batch of students at the Swati Tirunal Music Academy. After the course, she was appointed as the music teacher in Cotton Hill Girls' High School in Trivandrum.
Career
Ponnamma's acting debut happened only when she turned 29, in a play titled Bhagyalakshmi. She went on to act in plays such as Prasanna, Chechi, Jeevithayathra and Rakthabandham, before debuting in films. Her debut role was that of the mother of the character played by Miss KumariMiss Kumari
-Early life:Miss Kumari, whose real name was Thresiamma, was born on 1 June 1932 at Bharananganam in Kottayam District, in the Kerala state of India.-Malayalam cinema:...
, a prominemt actress at that time in Sasidharan (1950). The same year she did another mother role in the Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair was a Malayali Indian poet, playwright, script writer, lyricist, orator, film director and actor, though he is best known as an actor in Malayalam cinema. He is the recipient of Padmashri from the Government of India, which is one of the highest civilian honours in India....
starrer Amma, which was the first film of noted producer T. E. Vasudevan and also the 18th Malayalam film. She was typecasted in mother roles. In her own words: "I did play a negative role in Paadunna Puzha and that of a wayward woman in Yachakan. But after that I was always cast as the mother. As the mother of two children, I was very comfortable in that role. My role model was my mother, Parukutty Amma, who had to look after her five children on her own after my father, Malethu Kesava Pillai, passed away when I was nine. In fact, in Amma, my fifth film, I was merely acting as my mother." In her career spanning over 60 years, she acted as the mother or grandmother of first generation actors like Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair was a Malayali Indian poet, playwright, script writer, lyricist, orator, film director and actor, though he is best known as an actor in Malayalam cinema. He is the recipient of Padmashri from the Government of India, which is one of the highest civilian honours in India....
, second generation actors like Prem Nazir
Prem Nazir
Abdul Khader , better known by his stage name Prem Nazir , was an Indian film actor. He is considered one of the all time super stars in Malayalam cinema...
and Sathyan
Sathyaneshan Nadar
Manuel Sathyaneshan Nadar commonly known by his stage name Sathyan, was an Indian film actor known for his work in Malayalam cinema. He has won the Kerala State Film Award twice and is renowned for his acting skills...
and third generation actors like Mammootty
Mammootty
Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles...
, Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
and Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopinathan Nair , often credited as Suresh Gopi , is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Malayalam cinema; he is famous for his roles in police dramas. He is noted for his leading roles as much as his character roles...
.
She appeared last in the film Janathipathyam (1997). She died on 21 February 2011, aged 96, at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
.
Awards
Ponnamma received the State and National awardsNational 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...
for best supporting actress for her performance in Kathapurushan
Kathapurushan
Kathapurushan 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...
(1995), directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Moutatthu "Adoor" Gopalakrishnan Unnithan is an Indian film director, script writer, and producer. Adoor Gopalakrishnan had a major role in revolutionizing Malayalam cinema and is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of India.. Adoor's first film Swayamvaram pioneered the new wave cinema...
. In 1998, she was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Asianet
Asianet
Asianet Communications Limited is an Indian media conglomerate jointly owned by STAR TV and Jupiter Entertainment. Formed in 1991 and headquartered in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the south Indian state of Kerala, the company owns several television channels including Asianet, the first...
. She was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award for Lifetime Achievement
J. C. Daniel Award
The J. C. Daniel Award is an annual award given by the Government of Kerala. The Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala instituted the award in honour of J. C. Daniel in 1992. The award, a part of the Kerala State Film Awards is to honour lifetime achievements and outstanding...
in 2006. She received the Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai
Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai
Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai was a Malayalam dramatist, poet, screen play writer and actor. He was born on 1900 in Muthukulam, a small village in Alappuzha District, Kerala, India...
Award in 2010.
Selected filmography
- Janathipathyam(1997)
- LelamLelamLelam is a 1997 Malayalam film directed by Joshiy, written by Renji Panicker, and starring Suresh Gopi, M. G. Soman, Siddique, N. F. Varghese, and Nandini. The story revolves around the rivalry between two liquor business groups. The film was a box office success and was among the highest-grossing...
(1997) - 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) - Puthukottyile Puthu Manavalan (1995)
- Sindoora Rekha (1995)
- AkashadoothuAkashadoothuAkashadoothu is a 1993 Malayalam-language drama film directed by Sibi Malayil with Madhavi and Murali in title roles. One of the most influential melodramas of the nineties, the film tells the tale of a widow suffering from leukemia...
(1993) - AdvaithamAdvaithamAdvaitham is 1992 Malayalam political-crime film directed by Priyadarshan and written by T.Damodaran. It stars Mohanlal, Jayaram, Revathi, Innocent, and M. G. Soman in lead roles. The music was composed by Johnson...
(1991) - Oru Sayahnathinte Swapnam (1989)
- Achuvettante Veedu (1987)
- Rareeram (1986)
- Azhiyatha Bandhangal (1985)
- Pathamudayam (1985)
- Oppol (1980)
- Theekkadal (1980)
- Hiridhayam Oru Kshethram (1976)
- Viruthan ShankuViruthan ShankuViruthan Shanku is a 1968 Malayalam comedy film directed by P. Venu, starring Adoor Bhasi and Ambika in the lead roles.-Plot:Viruthan Shanku is the story of Vikraman and how he tricks people and steals their valuables in a comic way and also how he wins the heart of Kunjikkavu .The film starts...
(1968) - Kavalaam Chundan (1967)
- Kandam Bacha KotteKandam Bacha KotteKandam Becha Kottu is an Indian film in Malayalam language by T. R. Sundaram, starring Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair and Aranmula Ponnamma. It is the first colour film in Malayalam. Based on a popular novel, which was also staged as a play under the same title, the screen version in Eastman colour...
(1961) - Amma (1950)
- Sasidharan (1950)