M.K. Kamalam, 86, heroine of the first Malayalam talkie, Balan , died here on Tuesday. She had been keeping indifferent health for many months. The end came at the Government Medical College Hospital here, where she was admitted three weeks ago.
Kamalam was born in 1924 to Kochupillai Panicker and Karthiyani in Kumarakom. She had become an established theatre person at the age of 15 when she entered the tinsel world in 1939 as the heroine of Balan .
In fact, she had joined the world of acting when she was in the fourth standard. Her first drama was Parijatham , in which she acted along with her father. This was followed by a string of successful dramas, including Pushpaharam , Alli Rani , Shakuntalam and Satyavan Savithri .
In Balan , she had portrayed the role of young girl who had abandoned her home after being victimised by her stepmother. As other stars of the time, she was a singing star, rendering four of the 23 songs in Balan .
Kamalam bid farewell to the tinsel world after acting in two more films, Bhootharayar and Shayanam .
She leaves behind three daughters. Her husband, V.K. Damodaran, died earlier.
The body of Kamalam was brought to the house of her daughter Indulekha at T.V. Puram, Vaikom, late in the night. The cremation will take place in the compound of the house with full State honours on Wednesday.
