Aranmula Ponnamma

Aranmula Ponnamma (8 April 1914 – 21 February 2011) 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.[1][2]

Aranmula Ponnamma
Born(1914-04-08)8 April 1914
Aranmula, Kerala, India
Died21 February 2011(2011-02-21) (aged 96)
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
OccupationActress
Years active1943–2004
Spouse(s)Kochu Krishna Pillai
ChildrenRajamma
Rajashekharan
Parent(s)Malethu Kesava Pillai
Parukutty Amma
Relatives
Awards2006 - J.C. Daniel Award for Lifetime Achievement

Early life

Ponnamma was born as one of five children of Malethu Kesava Pillai and Parukutty Amma in Aranmula, Pathanamthitta, Travancore.[3] She has four siblings, Ramakrishna Pillai, Pankiyamma, Bhaskara Pillai and Thankamma.[4] 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.

Family

She was married to Late Kochu Krishna Pilla. The couple have a son, Rajashekharan and a daughter, Rajamma. Her granddaughter is married to Suresh Gopi.[5]

Career

Ponnamma's acting debut happened at the age of 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 Kumari, a prominent actress at that time, in Sasidharan (1950).[2] The same year she did another role as a mother in the Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair starrer Amma, which was the first film of noted producer T. E. Vasudevan and also the 18th Malayalam film.[6] In 1968, she acted in the film Viruthan Shanku directed by P. Venu, the first full-length comedy in Malayalam cinema. 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."[2] 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 Gourisankaram (2004). She died on 21 February 2011, aged 96, at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.[7][8][9]

Awards
National Film Awards

Kerala State Film Awards

Asianet Film Awards
  • 1998 : Lifetime Achievement Award

Filmography
YearTitleRoleNotes
2003Gourisankaram-
2003Swapnam Kondu ThulabharamAmmu's grandmother
2000IndriyamMuthassi
Baalapattangal-Short film
Parajayathil Patharatha Karmayogi-Documentary
1997JanathipathyamThirumupad's mother
1997LelamRevathi Thirunal thampuratti
1996KadhapurushanMuthassi
1995SindoorarekhaMuthassi
1995Puthukottayile PuthumanavalanAchamma
1995HighwayVinod's grandmother
1994TharavaduRajani's grandmother
1994Sagaram SakshiDevotee
1994SudhinamBhargavi Amma
1994Njan KodiswaranMuthassi
1993Maya MayooramNarendran's grandmother
1993AakashadoothuAnnamma
1993KalipattamVenu's grandmother
1992KinginiMahesh's grandmother
1992SavidamRamji's cheriyamma
1991AdwaythamMuthassi
1991VishnulokamSavithri's grandmother
1990Champion ThomasValiammachi
1990PurappaduElippennu
1989Oru Sayahnathinte SwapnamSaraswathiyamma
1989Aazhikkoru MuthuPrabhakarar's mother
1987Kanikanum NeramMuthassi
1987Achuvettante VeeduAchuthankutty's Mother
1987Swargam
1986RareeramNandakumar's Mother
1986KaveriBalu's Mother
1985Madhuvidhu Theerum Munpe
1985Navadakku Paniyedukku
1985Vellam-
1985Puzhayozhugum VazhiHari's Mother
1985Azhiyatha BandhangalMeenakshi
1985PathamudayamB. G. Menon's Sister
1984Poomadathe PennuMuthassi
1983AhankaramSreedevi
1983Pallankuzhi
1983Enne Njan ThedunnuParukuttyamma
1983BandhamMuthassi
1982Vazhvey MaayamPaattiTamil film
Dubbed for herself in
Malayalam dubbed verson "Premabhishekam" also
1982Yagam
1982Ee NaduParvathiyamma
1982Drohi
1982Ente Shathrukkal
1982Ithum Oru JeevithamMadhavi
1981Archana TeacherSukumaran's aunt
1981Ira Thedunna Manushyar
1981Manassinte TheerthayathraMuthassi
1981Arikkari Ammu
1981Dhanya
1981AakramanamDevakiyamma
1980AmbalavilakkuSavithri's Mother-in-law
1980Thirayum TheeravumMuthassi
1980Makaravilakku
1980Oppol
1980TheekadalBalakrishnan's Mother
1980Avan Oru Ahankari
1980Swantham Enna PadamSunil's grandmother
1980Seetha
1979Lajjavathi
1979Rajaveedhi
1979Bharyaye Aavashyamundu
1979Prabhathasandhya
1979Amrithachumbanam
1979Oru Ragam Pala Thalam
1979Venalil Oru Mazha
1979Enikku Njaan SwanthamMadhavankutty's mother
1979TharangamMadhu's mother
1979Ivide Kattinu SuganthamPushkaran's grandmother
1979SayoojyamSaraswathy
1978AanappachanSarojiniyamma
1978PremashilpiPrakash's mother
1978Uthradarathri-
1978Hemantharathri-
1978Avar Jeevikkunnu
1978KodiyettamNeighbour
1978Rowdy RamuLakshmykuttyamma
1978Urakkam Varatha Rathrikal
1978Naalumanippookkal
1978Rapadikalude Gatha
1978Njan Njan Mathram
1978PadasaramBhavani
1978Ahalya
1978Kaithappo-
1977YudhakandamAmma
1977Sathyavan Savithri-
1977Vidarunna MottukalGopal's mother
1977Sree MurukanBharathi
1976Hridayam Oru KshethramRamesh's mother
1975MakkalGouriyamma
1975Sathyathinte Nizhalil-
1975Swami Ayyappan
1974YouvanamRavi's mother
1974Devi Kanyakumari-
1973SwapnamViswanathan's mother
1973Ponnapuram KottaKunjikanni
1972Sree Guruvayoorappan-
1972PrathikaramRaju's mother
1971MuthassiMuthassi
1971KochaniyathiMohan's Mother
1970Engirundho VandhaalShanthavalliTamil film
1970Kurukshethram
1970Pearl ViewPristina
1970SthreeDevakiyamma
1970MadhuvidhuGopi's Mother
1970AmbalapravuSaraswathiyamma
1970Lottery Ticket
1970DathuputhranKunjachan's mother
1970Cross BeltAmmukuttiyamma
1970TharaKamalamma
1970Nilakkatha Chalanangal
1969MannippuDhanam AmmalTamil Film
1969Padicha KallanSaraswathiyamma
1969JwalaSaraswathiyamma
1969Poojapushppam-
1969SusiThresiamma
1969Vila Kuranja Manushyan
1969Kumara SambhavamMinavati
1968Adhyapika-
1968Love In KeralaMother of Chandran and Shankar
1968AgnipareekshaMohan's Mother
1968Padunna PuzhaBhanumathiyamma
1968KodugaloorammaKavunthi
1968Vidyarthi
1968Hotel High RangeRamesh's mother
1968Midumidukki-
1968Viruthan ShankuKunjulakshmi
1967Lady DoctorShoshamma
1967Collector MalathiSubhadramma
1967AgniputhriSaraswathi
1967Kavalam ChundanSaraswathi Kunjamma
1967PavapettavalBhavaniyamma
1967PareekshaLakshmi
1966Priyathama-
1966TharavattammaLakshmiyamma
1966ArchanaMeenakshiyamma/Rajagopalan's Mother
1966KoottukarKunjamma
1966PuthriLayamma
1966ArchanaMeenakshiyamma
1965MayaviRaghu's mother
1965MuthalaliSaraswathiyamma
1965KaliyodamJanakiyamma
1965ShakunthalaGauthami
1964Atom BombJanaki
1964ManavattiBabu's mother
1964KudumbiniParukuttiyamma
1964BharthavuKalyaniyamma
1964KaruthakaiRadha's aunt
1964Kalajukittiya ThankamSharada
1964School MasterJaanu
1963Kalayum KaminiyumUsha's mother
1963Kaattu Maina-
1962SnehadeepamKalyani
1962Veluthambi DalawaDalawa's mother
1962SreeramapattabhisekhamKausalya
1962KalpadukalAntharjanam
1962Viyarppinte VilaAmma
1961FACTDocumentary
1961Kandam Becha KottuAmina
1961UmminithankaAbhirama
1961Bhakta KuchelaYashoda
1961Jnana SundariMaharani
1961Christmas RathriAnnamma
1960PoothaliMadhan Menon's sister
1958MariakuttyAchamma
1957PadathapainkiliKunjandamma
1957ThaskaraveeranSanthaLa
1956Koodapirappu-
1956ManthravadiSusheeladevi
1956Avar UnarunnuBharathi
1955AniyathiKalyaniyamma
1955Kaalam Maarunnu
1954BalyasakhiParvathiyamma
1953Asai MaganTamil film
1953PonkathirMadhu's mother
1953AshadeepamLakshmiyamma
1953LokaneedhiDevakiyamma
1952AmmaLakshmiyamma
1952KaanchanaPonnammal
1952AathmashanthiJanakiyamma
1951YachakanAnandam
1950ChechiKankam
1950ChandrikaSaralabhai
1950SasidharanKalyaniyamma

Television

Dramas
  • Bhagyalakshmi
  • Rakthabandham
  • Chechi
  • Jeevithayathra
  • Prasanna
gollark: Not really.
gollark: Oh, right, bremsstrahlung.
gollark: If it's "fight one polity without dubiously better weapons" versus "fight everyone who enforces the no-particle-beams rule"...
gollark: Well, they might.
gollark: From my very, *very* limited knowledge of this magnets could slow them down, but you would get bremhalsstrung [sic].

References
  1. "Notice of Aranmula Ponnamma's death". Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  2. "Matriarch of Mollywood". 12 January 2007 – via www.thehindu.com.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "CINIDIARY - A Complete Online Malayalam Cinema News Portal". cinidiary.com.
  5. Correspondent), (Our. "Kerala's 'screen mother' Ponnamma dies at 96". Khaleej Times.
  6. Excerpt from www.thehindujobs.com Archived 21 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Aranmula Ponnamma dies at 96". Deccan Herald. 21 February 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  8. "Aranmula Ponnamma dies". The Indian Express. Kerala. 21 February 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  9. "Aranmula Ponnamma passes away". Kerala: "SansCinema". 21 February 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
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