Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Philomina

A Kerala village with green paddy fields, large ponds with shrubs around it, a river and a boatman. An empty country road covered with a layer of dry leaves. Yellow bamboo plants on both sides of the road. An old lady is walking through the road, carrying a large black umbrella, folded, in her hand. Probably there is a cloth bag in her other hand. She is wearing either a blouse and settu mundu, or chattayum mundum in traditional Christian style. Her face and expressions clearly reveal almost everything about her emotions and character. She has a bit of all humane limitations - jealousy, greed, arrogance - that can be expected from any person. She is mischievous, and enjoys gossiping and creating trouble, just for fun, and her reputation in the village also is in line with that. If we see such a character in a Malayalam film, who would be playing that other than actress Philomina?

Philomina was typecast in such roles, and she played hundreds of such characters - As a servant at rich houses stealing food and grocery from the store room, A distant relative of the hero or heroine who has come for a short visit and in turn spreads some rumor, An aging grandmother of the house, who likes to see things a bit more lively, and so on. She had several memorable roles in films like Kudumba Puranam, Godfather, In Harihar Nagar, Njan Gandharvan, Venkalam, Kireedam, Kauthuka Varthakal, Churam, Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal, Mazhavil Kavadi, Thalayinamanthram, Sasneham and many others. The last film she acted was Meerayude Dukhavum Muthuvinte Swapnavum, in 2003.

Philomina passed away yesterday. I think we will miss her natural acting and portrayals of the quintessential Malayalee villager.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

As u said rightly, we would miss a great actress. Accidentally, around the time she passed away on Monday night, I was watching the Mammotty movie "Sangam" in which she was the bed-ridden mother of Mammotty. Though she didn't have much of a role to play in this movie, I still remember her other movies and that special ability to portray the character to perfection. My prayers for this great lady.

12:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Though she became famous with with the role of anappara achamma in GOD FATHER the older generation remembers her for the classic portryal of beeyathu in PN Menons Olavum Theeravum. It was in her second coming that she attained the humor tag.

1:12 PM  
Blogger Ratheesh said...

Raghu,

I havent seen Olavum Theeravum yet :-(

Actually, I havent yet seen most of the old classics of Malayalam cinema. Nirmalyam, Swayamvaram, Elippathayam, Thulabharam, Enippadikal - I havent seen any of them. I hope our Malayalam channels will show these movies one day, instead of repeatedly showing junk films for the Nth time.

Regards,
Ratheesh

8:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As U had rightly mentioned, Malayalam film industry has missed out one of it highly talented actress who specialised playing amma roles. Her role in the movie Godfather will stay fresh in the minds of Malayalam film audience for ever. She was always perfect in whatever role she played and always the quintessential amma or grandmother. I only wish that her soul rest in peace.

P.S. Hope that kerala government and the all powerful amma recoganize her talents and award her, posthumously though..

9:38 AM  

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