Neyyattinkara Komalam, the veteran Malayalam actress, passed away at the age of 96 on Thursday, October 17. She was reportedly admitted to a private hospital in a town named Parassala in Kerala on October 15 due to heart-related issues and ailments. The actress, also known as Komala Menon, breathed her last yesterday owing to her health issues.
According to reports, Neyyattinkara Komalam’s funeral will take place in Vazhuthur today, October 18, around 12.30 PM. She lost her husband, M Chandrasekhara Menon, a few years ago and lived with some of her relatives due to her age-related ailments.
Neyyattinkara Komalam, born to Pankajaksha and Kunjiyamma, made her acting debut in 1951 with Vanamala, directed by G Viswanath. Her big break came the following year when she starred as the lead in Prem Nazir’s debut film, Marumakal, back in 1952, which was her third film. This role solidified her place in Malayalam cinema.
Vanamala was notable for being the first jungle movie in Malayalam. Afterwards, she appeared in Aathmasanthi in 1952. In 1954, she acted in F Nagoor’s Sandehi and later joined the cast of P Ramdas’ Newspaper Boy.
Coming from a conservative family, Komalam faced strong opposition from her relatives, who disapproved of her acting career. This led to challenges, and despite numerous offers from production houses, she chose to retire at the age of 21. After a 22-year break, she returned to acting with the film Aradhana, directed by Madhu. In 1994, Neyyattinkara Komalam was honoured with an honorary membership from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).
During an interview, Neyyattinkara Komalam once revealed why she left her acting career and said, “Girls from good homes were not supposed to be part of films. My mother was not willing to take me to sets. My brothers were also not supportive.”
In another interview, Neyyattinkara Komalam talked about Prem Nazir and said, “He sent a letter inviting me to the marriage. The moment he spotted me, he proceeded to greet me. He introduced me as his first heroine. More than an actor, he was a good human being!”
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