An ideal housewife should be affectionate and compassionate towards her husband and children, she should be an embodiment of love who will be working hard for the happiness,good health and the welfare of her family.A good house wife will be ready to take any sufferings for the betterment of the family and will not complaint about her miseries to others.She will have the readiness to give support for all good deeds of her husband, and guide her children in a proper way.She should fill the house with luminous positive energy and must be an asset for the whole family members as said in the lyrics of an old Malayalam film song “Veedinu ponmani vilakku nee tharavadinunidhi nee Kudumbini” which was written by Abhayadev and composed by LPR Varma.C.O.Anto sung this song in the film ‘Kudumbini’ which was released in 1964 and still a nostalgia for listeners.The title role as the female head of the family ‘Kudumbini’was handled by Kaviyoor Ponnamma in that film.
Kaviyoor Ponnamma is a Versatile veteran actress of Malayalam cinema who has portrayed numerous character roles largely as a loving mother in Malayalam films from the early 60’s.She started to act in mother roles from her youth days itself and has acted as mother to senior legendary actors of those period like Prem Nazir and Sathyan in many films.She possess a special talent to portray motherly characters who all endure any sort of situations pleasantly to make the family members happy.
Kaviyoor Ponnamma was born on September 10, 1945 at Kaviyoor in Thiruvalla Taluk to parents T.P.Damodaran and Gauri as the eldest of seven children.Actress Kaviyoor Renuka was her younger sister.
Kaviyoor Ponnamma started to learn music from the age of five.She sang songs for professional drama troupes and acted in some of them in the initial period of her acting career.She has acted in the famous drama ‘Mooladhanam’ by Thoppil Bhasi.
Her debut into films was in 1962 in the role as ‘Mandodari’ the consort of King Ravana in the 1962 Malayalam film ‘Srirama Pattabhishekam’ directed and produced by P.Subramanyam.Another famous mother role actress Aranmula Ponnamma also acted in this film and she handled to role of Kausalya, mother of Srirama.
Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair,G.K.Pillai,Kottarakkara,Jose Prakash,Prem Nazir,Prem Nawas,Miss Kumari etc acted in the film ‘Srirama Pattabhishekam’.
In 1965 she acted in the super hit film ‘Odayil Ninnu‘ and acted in it as the wife of Sathyan and mother of K.R.Vijaya.Sathyan as the rikshaw puller Pappu earned appreciation and accolades in this movie.
In the 60’s and 70’s she acted in large number of hits and super hits in Malayalam in mother roles to famous actors like Prem Nazir,Sathyan,Madhu, M.G.Soman, Sukumaran,Sarada,Sheela,Jayabharathy,K.R.Vijaya,Sreevidya,Ushakumari and later acted in mother roles to actors like Jayan, Mammootty,Mohan Lal,Suresh Gopi,Seema,Sumalatha,Jayaram,Parvathy,Dileep,Shobhana,Geetha etc etc. and for new generation actors also.
Some of her earlier hit films are ‘ Rosy,Velutha Kathreena,Anweshichu Kandethiiyilla,Asuravithu,Nadhi,Ammayenna Sthree,Othenante Makan,Cross Belt,Vivahitha,Sarasayya,Triveni,Kalithozhi,Abhijathyam,Theerthayathra,Thiruvabharanam,Ponnapuram Kotta,Divya Darsanam,Nellu,Devi Kanyakumari’ etc etc.
She acted as ‘Velichapad’s (P.J.Antony) wife in the National award winner film‘Nirmalyam’ directed by M.T.Vasudevan Nair and in that film Sukumaran and Sumitra were her children.
She has also acted in the film ‘Kodiyettam’ directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan for which Bharath Gopi received National award as Best actor.
In 1978 she acted as the mother of Krishna Chandran and Baby Sumathy in the block buster film ‘Rathi Nirvedam’ written by P.Padmarajan and directed by ‘Bharathan’.
She acted as mother to Jayan in super hit films like ‘Manushya Mrigam’, ‘Karimpana’ etc.
In 1981 her role as the wife of Jose Prakash and mother of Rajyalakshmi,Lalu Alex in the super hit film ‘Thrishna‘ in which Mammootty and Swapna acted in lead roles earned accolades.I.V.Sasi directed this film.
She acted as mother to M.G.Soman in films like ‘Kodathy’ directed by Joshy in 1984.Mammootty,Ratheesh,Jagathy,Pappu,Seema,Jalaja etc acted in it.
‘Thinkalazhcha Nalla Divasam’ written and directed by P.Padmarajan was a challenge in Kaviyoor Ponnamma’s acting career in which she presented excellent acting moments.The film which dealt with the theme of children interested in only the wealth of their parents who sell their properties and send them to old age homes.
Another fantastic unforgettable character was her mother role of ‘Balan Mash’ (Mammootty) in the film ‘Thaniyavarthanam‘ written by Lohithadas and directed by Sibi Malayil.The scene in which the helpless loving mother liberating her son’s miseries by serving him poisoned food was portrayed with unparalleled acting skill by Kaviyoor Ponnamma.
She is admired as the best son and mother combination with Mohan Lal and has acted together in several films which all received accolades.In the film ‘Adhipan’ the kindhearted and caring mother pretends as if she doesn’t know the pranks of her son (Mohan Lal) but was watching him closely and helped him to get married a beautiful singer girl (Parvathy) when she came to know that the girl has entered in to his heart.
In the film ‘Kireedam’ she presented stupendous acting skill as the wife of the strict Head constable and as the mother of a good mannered well educated son ‘Sethumadhavan’ who was just ready to wear the Police Officer Cap but unexpectedly had to wear the crown of a culprit.Mohan Lal,Parvathy,Thilakan,Maniyan Pillai Raju,Jagathy,Cochin Haneefa etc acted in it.Her roles in films like Bharatham,His Highness Abdulla etc are unforgettable.
She has acted as mother to Jayaram in many films like ‘Mazhavil Kavady‘.In that film she acted as Velayudhan Kutty’s (Jayaram) mother and in that film she was astonished to find her son as a barber at Pazhani.Jayaram,Urvashy,Sithara,Innocent,Paravur Bharathan,Krishnan Kutty Nair,Mamukoya etc acted in it.
In 1971 she received second best actress award from Kerala Government.
In 1972 she got second best actress award from Kerala government for the film‘Theerthayathra‘.It was based on a novel by V.T.Nandakumar.She sang in that film along with other singers.
She received second Best actress award in 1973 also for various films.
In 1994 she received Kerala government award as second best actress for the portrayal of ‘Yasodhamma’, the sister of Nedumudy Venu’s character Sreekrishnan in the film ‘Thenmavin Kombath‘ directed by Priyadarshan.
Mohan Lal and Shobhana acted in min roles of this film.
Kaviyoor Ponnamma is loved and respected by all film lovers and also loves and appreciates her cordial and viable character roles as house wife and mother in most of her films.
Her husband was film producer Maniswami who died in 2011.
Her daughter Bindu is settled in the United States.
Selected Filmography
Sreerama Pattabhishekam
Kudumbini
Odayil Ninnu
Rosy
Snweshichu Kandethiyilla
Nadhi
Vithukal
Abhijathyam
Akkarapacha
Periyar
Nakhangal
Interview
Nirmalyam
Nellu
Devi Kanyakumari
Makkal
Ulsavam
Chottanikkara Amma
Romeo
Sindhu
Srimurugan
Vezhampal
Oonjl
Kodiyettam
Padasaram
Tiger Salim
Rajan Paranja Kadha
Kalpa Vriksham
Eetta
Aarattu
Cheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal
Karimpana
Sphodanam
Thrishna
Bheeman
Sesham Kazhchayil
Ente Nandinikuttikku
Kanamarayathu
Adiyozhukkukal
Thinkalazhcha Nalla Divasam
Karimpin Poovinakkare
Kshamichu Ennoru Vakku
Achuvettante Veedu
Anantharam
Ente Amma
Mukthi
Peruvannapurathe Viseshangal
Mazhavil Kavady
Vandanam
Adhipan
Aksharathettu
Kireedam
Jathakam
Dasaratham
Rajavazhcha
His Highness Abdulla
Ulladakkam
Sandesam
Dhanam
Bharatham
Pappayude Swantham Appoos
Sopanam
Gandharvam
Vietnam Colony
Mahanagaram
Kavadiyattam
Vatsalyam
Sukrutham
Bheeshmacharya
Chukkan
Sadayam
Thenmavin Kombathu
Mannar Mathai Speaking
Kottaram Veettil Apoottan
The Godman
Ezhupunna Tharakan
Uthaman
Kakkakuyil
Ammakilikkoodu
Pattanathil Sundaran
Vismayathumbathu
Runway
Mampazhakkalam
Vadakkumnathan
Baba Klyani
Twenty 20
Sulthan
Ividam Swargamanu
Kappal Muthalali
Christian Brothers
Ithu Nammude Katha
Manjadikunnu
Kadal Kadonnoru Mathukutty
Avatharam
