Kaviyoor Ponnamma, popular Malayalam film actress, who was known more as the “Mother of All Actors”, is no more. She breathed her last at a private hospital in Kochi at 5.30 pm following age-related issues. She was 79.

Ponnamma has acted as mother of all leading artists in Malayalam film industry since he made her debut in 1962. Sathyan, Madhu, Prem Nazir, Mammootty  and Mohan Lal always preferred to have Ponnamma as their mother all the films they acted. Late Thilakan and Ponnamma were the “made for each other couple” in films.

Despite the Malayalam movies being taken over by the new generation film makers, Ponnamma remained as the eternal mother. Her husband Maniswami had predeceased her in 1969, she leaves behind a daughter who is based in USA.

Lead director Sathyan Anthikkadu, who had cast Ponnamma in most of his films, said that all one has to do is to tell the actress what was her role. “She would perfect the character with elan. Nothing surprising in all Keralites wanted her to be their mother”, Sathyan told The Pioneer.

Suresh Kumar, producer of some of the magnum opus Malayalam movies described Ponnamma as Nirupa Roy of Hindi films. “The ease with which she assimilated the characters given to her was really surprising and I consider her as a university of acting,” said Suresh Kumar. There was a chemistry between Mohan Lal and Ponnamma which only movie maker like Sathyan Anthikkadu  could understand and exploit.

In her career spanning more than six decades, Ponnamma ha won State film awards four times and a host of other honors.