Actress Savithri Sreedharan passes away, departed is 'Sudani from Nigeria' fame 'Jameela Umma' 

KOZHIKODE: Well-known actress Savithri Sreedharan, who won a place in the hearts of audiences through the film Sudani from Nigeria, passed away Wednesday morning. She was 85. She died at her residence in Mankavu, Kozhikode, due to old age ailments. She was discharged from the hospital only recently.

Savithri had a four-decade-long career in theatre. She made her acting debut at the age of 16 in Valayanad Kala Samithi’s play Karutha Vella. Savithri began acting after her marriage. After working in amateur theatre for around 20 years, she entered the professional theatre. She received her first award in a drama competition conducted by the Corporation in 1964.

Savithri gained recognition for her performance in the play Nottukal by Kara Yuvajana Kala Samithi. K T Mohammed's Deepasthambham Mahascharyam was a turning point in her acting career. She had acted in K T's Kalinga, Ibrahim Vengara's Chiranthana Theatres, Vikraman Nair's Stage India, and other theatre groups. Savithri was also a recipient of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for her overall contribution to theatre.

She entered the film industry in 1991 by playing the role of a mother in M T Vasudevan Nair's film Kadavu. After taking a break from cinema, the actress returned to the film industry through Sudani from Nigeria. Her performance in the film earned her the 2019 Kerala State Film Award for Best Character Actress, as well as a special mention at the 66th National Film Awards.

However, Savithri Sreedharan's decision to stay away from the National Film Awards ceremony as a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) became a topic of much discussion. Apart from her involvement in arts, she was also active in politics. In 1993, she contested and won as a CPM councillor from the Thiruvannur ward of the Kozhikode Corporation.