The mechanized art of cinema came to India for the first time, and only after two or three Hindi films were released did films with ‘Amma’ characters begin to emerge. Although it started in Hindi, Tamil has seen more film productions that have given priority to mother characters than heroines. Tamil children are a people who give so much glory to the two letters ‘Amma’. The single film ‘Avwayar’ is an example of that. Kannamba and T.A. were important mother faces in Tamil cinema at that time. Maduram, Pandari Bhai, MV Rajamma, Muthulakshmi, Manorama and others. Kannamba was a unique talent who rocked the screen with the private sorrows of a mother, highly dramatic moments and long dialogues like Shivaji Ganesha.
After Tamil cinema, more films were made in Malayalam with emphasis on mother characters. Aranmula Ponnamma was the most famous among the early Amma stars. In all the films, Aranmula Ponnamma had the appearance of a good, loving, Panchapavam Amma. Pankajavalli was another Amma star who was there at that time. The reason why she got the warrior mother-in-law roles in most of the subsequent films is because she played the role of a villain for the first time in ‘Jeetha Nauka’. After Pankajavalli came Adoor Bhavani, TR Omana, Sukumari, Adoor Pankajam, Kaviyoor Ponnamma etc. Kaviyoor Ponnammachechi’s film entry was from the play.
Ponnamma Chechi got the title of the most suitable actress for mother roles because she has a unique acting ability by playing better mother roles than Aranmula Ponnamma. Ponnammachechi, who is younger than Sheela, made her debut by playing Sheela’s mother in ‘Kutumbini’ directed by the then superhit director Sasikumar. When the acting in Kudumbani was noticed a lot, then the producers and directors were more interested in Ponnammachechi’s mother role.
I was really surprised that day when I heard that Ponnammachechi played the role of the mother of both of them in ‘Thommante Makkah’ starring Sathyan and Madhu. Ponnamma Chechi, who acted as Thikurissi’s wife in the 1971 film ‘Nadi’ and Thilakan’s mother in ‘Periyari’, later came as Thilakan’s wife and Sathyan’s heroine in the film ‘Odailthala’ and created awe in the minds of the audience. I don’t think there is any other actress in Malayalam who has played such different roles in female roles.
It was at the time of acting in these mother roles that she became the heroine in ‘Rosie’. Ponnamma Chechi became a regular mother star in Malayalam cinema after coming as the heroine’s sister, aunt and aunt. Ponnammachechi, who had a very cordial relationship with her colleagues, was called Ponnu by those who were closer to her. That gold is P.M. Maniswamy, the producer of the film ‘Rosie’ directed by Menon, was accompanied by Ponnai in his life.
Even though she has acted as the mother of all the heroes since the early days, she has acted as Mohanlal’s mother in the most number of films, but even though Ponnammachechi’s film career has been going on for a long time of sixty years, when it comes to an auspicious mother with a perfect face in Malayalam cinema, the director and producers first go for the presence of Kaviyoor Ponnamma Chechi. Due to minor physical ailments, they are now keeping a little distance from acting. Ponnammachechi is ready to lend a helping hand if someone comes with a different role that she has not played before.
Although Ponnammachechi has acted in many films I have scripted, my favorite is Amma’s role in Kudumba Sametam directed by Jayaraj. Although I had seen Ponnammachechi’s films in the early days, I remember seeing her in person in 1974. It is the time when I conduct the Chitrapournami movie week. In our Chitrapournami group, which used to meet every evening, a new idea was suddenly formed one day – to publish a huge book containing the history of Malayalam cinema up to that time.
The idea was John Paul’s. The desire to release such a film history entered our minds because John and I did not see even in the slightest that we would reach the magical world of cinema. For that, John Paul and I first went to see Maniswamy, who was the husband of Kaviyoor Ponnammachechi, a film scholar, screenwriter, director and producer.
Maniswamy and Ponnammachechi lived on the top floor of a two-storied house in Madras at that time. We went to see Maniswamy and presented our idea to Malark before him. He thought for a while and said.
“Good idea. This will be very difficult to implement.”
And when Mani Swamy convinced us about its future prospects, John felt that if he continued with the history of Malayalam cinema, he would have to lose his job at Canara Bank. If you go and see a lot of people and walk with it for months and then it stops….? That is how we withdraw from the workshop of film history. When Mani Swami saw us remain silent without making a decision, he said: “Don’t despair, we will see later.”
I met Kaviyoor Ponnammachechi for the first time during the break time of the talk that day. The first time she came in the guise of a family girl with tea and bakery sweets, that sight is still vivid in my mind. There was another experience there that day. Sridevi, who later became a famous actress, and her family lived on the ground floor of Ponnammachechi’s house. When we went out after seeing Manisaar, we saw a twelve-thirteen-year-old girl who had gone to school and was coming home on a bicycle in the evening.
I noticed the cute little smart but didn’t know who this kid was. I know from John.
“Hey, don’t you know who this kid is? It was this boy who played Muruga in Neela’s Kumarasambhava.”It was very common to cast little girls in the roles of boys in films at that time. The boy has acted in small roles in some other Tamil films.
Even though I had seen the ‘Kumarasambhavam’, I could not believe that the boy was the same girl. John Paul may have been right. John has been a man of good will since ancient times. Six months before John’s death, we were talking on the phone about something and suddenly Sridevi came up. John Paul told me that too.
“Eda, do you remember? When we went to see Mani Swamy in the past, we saw Sridevi as a teenager? The poor boy is gone too. ”
Later Sridevi became a movie actress I.V. I met her in Hyderabad when she was acting in Shashi’s ‘Alingana’. I thought I should ask them about it. But I didn’t have time to ask that day.
Come back to Ponnammachechi. Ponnamma Chechi has acted in more than 700 films in the long sixty-two years. She has also received the State Award for Best Second Actress four times. Now she is living on the banks of Aluwapuzha in a noble, beautiful house called Sripadam, just like Ponnamma Chechi, with sad memories of her husband.
(to be continued)
