JOIN USLegendary Tamil actor Manorama, who made it into the Guinness World Records for acting in more than 1,400 films in a span of almost six decades, died here of cardiac arrest late on Saturday.
The versatile actor was 78 and is survived by her son Boopathy.
She was rushed to a private hospital after complaining of chest pain after dinner at her residence on Saturday. But the doctors declared her “brought dead”. “She left the world at 11.50 pm,” Boopathy said.
Manorama also had the unique distinction of having acted with as many as five chief ministers including: C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi, N T Rama Rao and J Jayalalitha.
She had also worked with prominent veteran and young actors like Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Ajith and Arjun.
Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan were among those who thronged ‘Aachi’s (elder sister, as she was fondly called) residence here to bid farewell.
Jaya pays tribute
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, herself an actor of yesteryears, said Manorama had made the Tamil film industry proud with her unparallelled acting prowess.
Manorama had received wide appreciation for her acting skills in films like ‘Bommalattam’, ‘Suriyakanthi’, ‘Pattikada Pattanama’, ‘Galatta Kalyanam’, ‘Anbe Vaa’, ‘Thillana Mohanambal’, ‘Chinna Thambi’, ‘Unnal Mudiyum Thambi’, ‘Samsaram Adhu Minsaram’ and ‘Nadigan’, she said.
A recipient of the Kalaimamani award, the highest state honour for an artiste, she also received the Padma Shri in 2002. In 1989, she had received the National Film Award for the best supporting actress for her role in ‘Pudhiya Pathai’.
Born as Gopishanta in Manargudi in the state in 1937, she had begun her career as a stage artiste at a time when women rarely acted in plays. As a stage artiste, she chose to change her name to Manorama.
The actor also had seen herself in the middle of a controversy in 1996 when she campaigned in support of Jayalalitha for the 1996 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi and Congress leaders also condoled the actor’s death.