Malayalam actor Neyyatinkara Komalam dies at 96

Neyyatinkara Komalam aka Komala Menon died at a private hospital in Parassala, Kerala, on Thursday, October 17. She was 96 years old. According to reports, she was receiving treatment at the hospital after getting admitted to the facility on October 15 following heart-related issues and ailments. Her health deteriorated, and she died on Thursday due to age-related illness.
According to Manorama, Neyyatinkara Komalam’s funeral took place in Vazhuthur, October 18, at around 12.30 pm. A few years ago, her husband, M Chandrasekhara Menon, died and, after his death, she lived with her relatives.
Komalam was born to Pankajaksha and Kunjiyamma in Kerala. She made her acting debut in 1951 with director G Viswanath’s Vanamala. It was known to be the first jungle film in the Malayalam film industry. A year later, she acted in legendary actor Prem Nazir’s debut film, Marumakal. It was her third film, and it solidified her place in Malayalam cinema.
Some of her best films include F Nagoor’s Sandehi and P Ramdas’s Newspaper Boy.
Komalam retired from work at the age of 21 after she faced backlash from her relatives who opposed her decision to act in cinema. She then made her comeback with Aradhana, 22 years after her retirement.
Soon after her demise, condolences started pouring in from her fans and industry colleagues.