Aranmula Ponnamma

Aranmula Ponnamma
Born (1914-04-08)8 April 1914
Aranmula, Kerala, India
Died 21 February 2011(2011-02-21) (aged 96)
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Occupation Actress
Years active 1943–2004
Spouse(s) Kochu Krishna Pilla
Children Rajamma , Rajashekharan
Parent(s) Malethu Kesava Pillai
Parukutty Amma
Awards 2006 - J.C. Daniel Award for Lifetime Achievement

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]

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 Pilla, Pankiyamma, Bhaskara Pilla, 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 is married to Late Kochu Krishna Pilla. The couple have a son, Rajashekharan and a daughter, Rajamma.

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.[5] 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.[6][7][8]

Awards

National Film Awards

Kerala State Film Awards

Asianet Film Awards

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Gourisankaram
2003 Swapnam Kondu Thulabharam
2000 Indriyam Muthassi
1997 Janathipathyam
1997Lelam Revathi Thirunal thampuratti
1996 Kadhapurushan Muthassi
1995 Sindoorarekha Muthassi
1995Puthukottayile Puthumanavalan Achamma
1995 Highway
1994 TharavaduRajani's grandmother
1994 Sagaram SakshiDevotee
1994 Sudhinam Bhargavi Amma
1994 Njan Kodiswaran Muthassi
1993 Maya Mayooram
1993Aakashadoothu
1993 KalipattamVenu's grandmother
1992 Kingini
1992 Savidam
1991 Adwaytham Muthassi
1991Vishnulokam
1990 Champion ThomasValiammachi
1989 Oru Sayahnathinte Swapnam Saraswathiyamma
1987 Achuvettante Veedu Achuthankutty's Mother
1987 Swargam
1986Rareeram Nandakumar's Mother
1986Kaveri Balu's Mother
1985 Madhuvidhu Theerum Munpe
1985 Navadakku Paniyedukku
1985 Vellam
1985Puzhayozhugum Vazhi Hari's Mother
1985Azhiyatha Bandhangal Meenakshi
1985 PathamudayamB. G. Menon's Sister
1984 Poomadathe PennuMuthassi
1983 Ahankaram
1983 Pallankuzhi
1983 Enne Njan Thedunnu Parukuttyamma
1983 BandhamMuthassi
1982 Yagam
1982 Ee Nadu Parvathiyamma
1981 Archana Teacher
1981 Ira Thedunna Manushyar
1981 Manassinte Theerthayathra
1980 Ambalavilakku
1980 Thirayum Theeravum
1980 Makaravilakku
1980Oppol
1980Theekadal Balakrishnan's Mother
1979 Lajjavathi
1979 Rajaveedhi
1979 Amrithachumbanam
1979 Oru Ragam Pala Thalam
1979 Venalil Oru Mazha
1979 Enikku Njaan Swantham Madhavankutty's mother
1979 TharangamMadhu's mother
1979 Ivide Kattinu Sugantham Pushkaran's grandmother
1979 Sayoojyam Saraswathy
1978 Anappachan
1978 Avar Jeevikkunnu
1978 Kodiyettam
1978 Rowdy Ramu
1978 Urakkam Varatha Rathrikal
1978 Naalumanippookkal
1978 Rapadikalude Gatha
1978 Njan Njan Mathram
1978 PadasaramBhavani
1978 Ahalya
1978 Kaithappo
1977 Yudhakandam
1977 Sathyavan Savithri
1977Vidarunna Mottukal Gopal's mother
1977 Sree Murukan
1976 Hridayam Oru Kshethram
1974 Youvanam Ravi's mother
1973 Swapnam
1973 Ponnapuram Kotta
1972Sree Guruvayoorappan
1972 Prathikaram Raju's mother
1971Muthassi
1971Kochaniyathi Mohan's Mother
1970 Kurukshethram
1970Pearl View Pristina
1970Sthree
1970Madhuvidhu Gopi's Mother
1970Ambalapravu Saraswathiyamma
1970 Lottery Ticket
1970 Cross Belt Ammukuttiyamma
1970Thara Kamalamma
1970Nilakkatha Chalanangal
1969 Padicha Kallan
1969 Jwala Saraswathiyamma
1969 Poojapushppam
1969 Kumara Sambhavam Minavati
1968 Adhyapika
1968Agnipareeksha Mohan's Mother
1968Padunna Puzha Bhanumathiyamma
1968Kodugalooramma
1968Vidyarthi
1968Hotel High Range Ramesh's mother
1968Midumidukki
1968 Viruthan Shanku
1967 Lady Doctor Shoshamma
1967 Collector MalathiSubhadramma
1967Agniputhri Saraswathi
1967Kavalam Chundan Saraswathi Kunjamma
1967 Pavapettaval Bhavaniyamma
1967 Pareeksha Lakshmi
1966Priyathama
1966 Koottukar Kunjamma
1966Puthri Layamma
1966Archana Meenakshiyamma
1965 Mayavi Raghu's mother
1965 Muthalali Saraswathiyamma
1965 Kaliyodam Janakiyamma
1965Shakunthala Gauthami
1964Atom Bomb Janaki
1964 ManavattiBabu's mother
1964 KudumbiniParukuttiyamma
1964 BharthavuKalyaniyamma
1964 Karuthakai Radha's aunt
1964 Kalajukittiya Thankam Sharada
1964School Master Jaanu
1963Kalayum Kaminiyum Usha's motherA
1962 Snehadeepam Kalyani
1962 Veluthambi DalawaDalawa's mother
1962SreeramapattabhisekhamKausalya
1962 KalpadukalAntharjanam
1962Viyarppinte Vila Amma
1961 Kandam Becha Kottu Amina
1961Umminithanka Abhirama
1961Bhakta Kuchela Yashoda
1961 Jnana Sundari
1961Christmas Rathri Annamma
1960Poothali Madhan Menon's sister
1958MariakuttyAchamma
1957 Padathapainkili Kunjandamma
1957 Thaskaraveeran
1956Manthravadi Susheeladevi
1956Avar Unarunnu Bharathi
1955 Aniyathi Kalyaniyamma
1954Balyasakhi Parvathiyamma
1953 Ponkathir
1953Ashadeepam Lakshmiyamma
1953Lokaneedhi Devakiyamma
1952Amma Lakshmiyamma
1952Kaanchana Ponnammal
1952Aathmashanthi Janakiyamma
1951Yachakan Anandam
1950 Chechi
1950 Sasidharan
1950Chandrika

Television

References

External links

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