Kochi: Veteran Malayalam actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma, known for playing the doting mother in several blockbusters, died in Kochi due to age-related ailment. She was 79. In May last year, she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
According to reports, Ponnamma was admitted to a hospital in Kerala and was battling several complications due to her advanced age.
Known for her roles with a strong maternal slant, Ponnamma has thrived in Malayalam cinema for over six decades and has appeared in supporting roles in over 700 films. She was the go-to artiste for the indulgent mother roles. She has acted with heroes spanning several generations. From being a part of a Prem Nazir or a Sathyan film, she graduated to playing the matriarch roles in films led by Mohanlal.
Her incredibly chemistry with Mohanlal as the stellar mother-son duo is her career highlight. She began her career at the age of 14.
Her hit films include ‘His Highness Abdullah’, ‘Bharatham’, and ‘Thaniyavarthanam’. She has won the Kerala State Film Award several times in her career.
She was last seen in a movie that released in 2022. She’s survived by her daughter Bindhu.
