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Aranmula Ponnamma (8 April 1914 – 21 February 2011) was a National Award winning Indian actress known for her roles as mother of the protagonist in numerous films in a career spanning over five decades. She is widely described as a mother figure in Malayalam cinema.[1][2] In 2005, she was honoured with the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for contributions to Malayalam cinema.

Aranmula Ponnamma
Born	(1914-04-08)8 April 1914 Aranmula, British India
Died	21 February 2011(2011-02-21) (aged 96) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1943–2004
Spouse	Kochu Krishna Pillai
Children	Rajamma Rajashekharan
Parent(s)	Malethu Kesava Pillai Parukutty Amma
Relatives	Suresh Gopi (Grandson-in-law)
Awards	2006 - 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.[5]

Family

She was married to Late Kochu Krishna Pillai. The couple had a son, Late Rajashekharan and a daughter, Rajamma. Her granddaughter Radhika Suresh is married to Suresh Gopi.[6]

Career

Ponnamma's acting debut happened at the age of 29, in a play titled Bhagyalakshmi.[5] 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.[7] 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.[8][9][10]

Awards

National Film Awards

• 1996: Best Supporting Actress - Kathapurushan[5]

Kerala State Film Awards

• 2005: J. C. Daniel Award[5]
• 1996: Second Best Actress - Kathapurushan

Asianet Film Awards

• 1998: Lifetime Achievement Award

Filmography

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (July 2021)

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003	Gourisankaram	-
2003	Swapnam Kondu Thulabharam	Ammu's grandmother
2000	Indriyam	Muthassi
	Baalapattangal	Ammoomma	Short film
	Parajayathil Patharatha Karmayogi	-	Documentary
	Malayala Cinemayude Karnavar	-	Documentary
1997	Janathipathyam	Thirumupad's mother
1997	Lelam	Revathi Thirunal thampuratti
1996	Kadhapurushan	Muthassi
1995	Sindoorarekha	Muthassi
1995	Puthukottayile Puthumanavalan	Achamma
1995	Highway	Vinod's grandmother
1994	Tharavadu	Rajani's grandmother
1994	Sagaram Sakshi	Devotee
1994	Sudhinam	Bhargavi Amma
1994	Njan Kodiswaran	Muthassi
1993	Maya Mayooram	Narendran's grandmother
1993	Aakashadoothu	Annamma
1993	Kalipattam	Venu's grandmother
1992	Kingini	Mahesh's grandmother
1992	Savidam	Ramji's cheriyamma
1991	Adwaytham	Muthassi
1991	Vishnulokam	Savithri's grandmother
1990	Champion Thomas	Valiammachi
1990	Purappadu	Elippennu
1989	Oru Sayahnathinte Swapnam	Saraswathiyamma
1989	Aazhikkoru Muthu	Prabhakarar's mother
1987	Kanikanum Neram	Muthassi
1987	Achuvettante Veedu	Achuthankutty's Mother
1987	Swargam	Jayan's mother
1986	Rareeram	Nandakumar's Mother
1986	Kaveri	Balu's Mother
1985	Madhuvidhu Theerum Munpe
1985	Navadakku Paniyedukku
1985	Vellam	-
1985	Puzhayozhugum Vazhi	Hari's Mother
1985	Azhiyatha Bandhangal	Meenakshi
1985	Pathamudayam	B. G. Menon's Sister
1984	Poomadathe Pennu	Muthassi
1983	Prem Nazirine Kanmanilla	Herself
1983	Ahankaram	Sreedevi
1983	Pallankuzhi
1983	Enne Njan Thedunnu	Parukuttyamma
1983	Bandham	Muthassi
1982	Vazhvey Maayam	Paatti	Tamil film Dubbed for herself in Malayalam dubbed version "Premabhishekam" also
1982	Yagam
1982	Ee Nadu	Parvathiyamma
1982	Drohi
1982	Ente Shathrukkal
1982	Ithum Oru Jeevitham	Madhavi
1981	Archana Teacher	Sukumaran's aunt
1981	Ira Thedunna Manushyar
1981	Manassinte Theerthayathra	Muthassi
1981	Arikkari Ammu
1981	Dhanya
1981	Aakramanam	Devakiyamma
1980	Ambalavilakku	Savithri's Mother-in-law
1980	Thirayum Theeravum	Muthassi
1980	Makaravilakku
1980	Oppol
1980	Theekadal	Balakrishnan's Mother
1980	Avan Oru Ahankari
1980	Swantham Enna Padam	Sunil's grandmother
1980	Seetha
1979	Lajjavathi
1979	Rajaveedhi
1979	Bharyaye Aavashyamundu
1979	Prabhathasandhya
1979	Amrithachumbanam
1979	Oru Ragam Pala Thalam
1979	Venalil Oru Mazha
1979	Enikku Njaan Swantham	Madhavankutty's mother
1979	Tharangam	Madhu's mother
1979	Ivide Kattinu Sugantham	Pushkaran's grandmother
1979	Sayoojyam	Saraswathy
1978	Aanappachan	Sarojiniyamma
1978	Premashilpi	Prakash's mother
1978	Uthradarathri	-
1978	Hemantharathri	-
1978	Avar Jeevikkunnu
1978	Kodiyettam	Neighbour
1978	Rowdy Ramu	Lakshmykuttyamma
1978	Urakkam Varatha Rathrikal
1978	Naalumanippookkal
1978	Rapadikalude Gatha
1978	Njan Njan Mathram
1978	Padasaram	Bhavani
1978	Ahalya
1978	Kaithappo	-
1977	Yudhakandam	Amma
1977	Sathyavan Savithri	-
1977	Vidarunna Mottukal	Gopal's mother
1977	Sree Murukan	Bharathi
1976	Hridayam Oru Kshethram	Ramesh's mother
1975	Makkal	Gouriyamma
1975	Sathyathinte Nizhalil	-
1975	Swami Ayyappan
1974	Youvanam	Ravi's mother
1974	Devi Kanyakumari	-
1973	Swapnam	Viswanathan's mother
1973	Ponnapuram Kotta	Kunjikanni
1972	Sree Guruvayoorappan	-
1972	Prathikaram	Raju's mother
1971	Muthassi	Muthassi
1971	Kochaniyathi	Mohan's Mother
1970	Engirundho Vandhaal	Shanthavalli	Tamil film
1970	Kurukshethram
1970	Pearl View	Pristina
1970	Sthree	Devakiyamma
1970	Madhuvidhu	Gopi's Mother
1970	Ambalapravu	Saraswathiyamma
1970	Lottery Ticket
1970	Dathuputhran	Kunjachan's mother
1970	Cross Belt	Ammukuttiyamma
1970	Thara	Kamalamma
1970	Nilakkatha Chalanangal
1969	Mannippu	Dhanam Ammal	Tamil Film
1969	Padicha Kallan	Saraswathiyamma
1969	Jwala	Saraswathiyamma
1969	Poojapushppam	-
1969	Susi	Thresiamma
1969	Vila Kuranja Manushyan
1969	Kumara Sambhavam	Minavati
1968	Adhyapika	-
1968	Love In Kerala	Mother of Chandran and Shankar
1968	Agnipareeksha	Mohan's Mother
1968	Padunna Puzha	Bhanumathiyamma
1968	Kodugalooramma	Kavunthi
1968	Vidyarthi
1968	Hotel High Range	Ramesh's mother
1968	Midumidukki	-
1968	Viruthan Shanku	Kunjulakshmi
1967	Lady Doctor	Shoshamma
1967	Collector Malathi	Subhadramma
1967	Agniputhri	Saraswathi
1967	Kavalam Chundan	Saraswathi Kunjamma
1967	Pavapettaval	Bhavaniyamma
1967	Pareeksha	Lakshmi
1966	Priyathama	-
1966	Tharavattamma	Lakshmiyamma
1966	Archana	Meenakshiyamma/Rajagopalan's Mother
1966	Koottukar	Kunjamma
1966	Puthri	Layamma
1966	Archana	Meenakshiyamma
1965	Mayavi	Raghu's mother
1965	Muthalali	Saraswathiyamma
1965	Kaliyodam	Janakiyamma
1965	Shakunthala	Gauthami
1964	Atom Bomb	Janaki
1964	Manavatti	Babu's mother
1964	Kudumbini	Parukuttiyamma
1964	Bharthavu	Kalyaniyamma
1964	Karuthakai	Radha's aunt
1964	Kalajukittiya Thankam	Sharada
1964	School Master	Jaanu
1963	Kalayum Kaminiyum	Usha's mother
1963	Kaattu Maina	-
1962	Snehadeepam	Kalyani
1962	Veluthambi Dalawa	Dalawa's mother
1962	Sreeramapattabhisekham	Kausalya
1962	Kalpadukal	Antharjanam
1962	Viyarppinte Vila	Amma
1961	FACT		Documentary
1961	Kandam Becha Kottu	Amina
1961	Umminithanka	Abhirama
1961	Bhakta Kuchela	Yashoda
1961	Jnana Sundari	Maharani
1961	Christmas Rathri	Annamma
1960	Poothali	Madhan Menon's sister
1958	Mariakutty	Achamma
1957	Padathapainkili	Kunjandamma
1957	Thaskaraveeran	SanthaLa
1956	Koodapirappu	-
1956	Manthravadi	Susheeladevi
1956	Avar Unarunnu	Bharathi
1955	Aniyathi	Kalyaniyamma
1955	Kaalam Maarunnu
1954	Balyasakhi	Parvathiyamma
1953	Asai Magan		Tamil film
1953	Ponkathir	Madhu's mother
1953	Ashadeepam	Lakshmiyamma
1953	Lokaneedhi	Devakiyamma
1952	Amma	Lakshmiyamma
1952	Kaanchana	Ponnammal
1952	Aathmashanthi	Janakiyamma
1951	Yachakan	Anandam
1950	Chechi	Kankam
1950	Chandrika	Saralabhai
1950	Sasidharan	Kalyaniyamma

Television

• Akashadoothu (Surya TV) - 2011
• Kadamattathu Kathanar (Asianet) - 2004
• Chuvappu Naada
• Akshayapaathram
• Mangalyasoothram

Dramas

• Bhagyalakshmi
• Rakthabandham
• Chechi
• Jeevithayathra
• Prasanna
• Randu Janmam

References

External links

• Aranmula Ponnamma at IMDb
• Aranmula Ponnamma at MSI
• Malayalamcinema.com profile

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