Malayalam cinema’s first female film star did only 34 movies; brought industry’s first National Award; died ‘mysteriously’ at 37

Born in 1932 in Bharananganam, Kottayam, Thresiamma Kollamparampil became a schoolteacher after completing her formal education, according to information provided on the website dedicated to her memory. It was during this time that she got the opportunity to make an appearance in Vellinakshatram. With the sudden success of Nalla Thanka, Miss Kumari rose to fame, and both Udaya and Merryland Studios rushed to sign her for more movies. And, this was just the beginning of an illustrious career.

While Malayalam cinema found its voice in crafting hard-hitting dramas rooted in Kerala’s social fabric, Kumari was at the forefront, headlining many of them. From Chechi (1950), Athmasakhi (1952) and Kanchana (1952), to Sheriyo Thetto? (1953), Balya Sakhi (1954), and Avakashi (1954), Kumari established herself as a strong performer and a bankable star.

Miss Kumari in Neelakuyil. (Credit: misskumari.com)

Neelakuyil and beyond

Both Kumari’s career and the Malayalam cinema landscape received the push they needed with the release of Neelakuyil (1954), directed by P Bhaskaran and Ramu Kariat. Based on a story by noted author Uroob, Neelakuyil questioned the social evils of the caste system, untouchability, feudalism, and gender injustice. It also introduced the industry to a new cinematic grammar that embraced realism. Starring Kumari, Sathyan, Prema, and Bhaskaran, Neelakuyil went on to become the first Malayalam film to win a National Award. At the 2nd National Film Awards, it earned the now-discontinued All India Certificate of Merit and the President’s Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Malayalam. Her hard-hitting performance as the Dalit woman Neeli opened to widespread acclaim, and the movie’s massive success cemented her position in the industry.

From Prem Nazir’s iconic CID (1955), Kidappadam (1955), Aniyathi (1955), Paadatha Painkili (1957), and Randidangazhi (1958), to Aana Valarthiya Vaanambadi (1959), Poothaali (1960), Mudiyanaaya Puthran (1961), Sri Rama Pattabhishekam (1962), Susheela (1963), and Snapaka Yohannan (1963), she became a part of several memorable movies. Interestingly, Paadatha Painkili, Randidangazhi, and Mudiyanaaya Puthran also won the President’s Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Malayalam.

Miss Kumari with Prem Nazir and other artistes in the 1955 film CID. (Credit: misskumari.com)

‘Don’t get married before 25’

According to The News Minute, she got married in 1961 at the age of 29 and bid adieu to cinema soon. After Snapaka Yohannan, she did one more movie — director N Sankaran Nair’s Arakkillam (1967) — wherein she shared the screen with Sathyan and Sarada. That became her swansong. In a career spanning 18 years, she appeared in only 34 films but etched her name in the hearts of the Malayali audience forever.

Although she chose to step away from the limelight following her marriage, Kumari had a progressive mindset towards the social institution and did not believe in the conventional, patriarchal norm of women being forced to stay at home after becoming wives. In an article titled “Daivabayavum Sanmarga Bodavum Thaliridunna Santhoshakaramaya Kudumbajeevitham,” she reportedly detailed her opinion that people should get married only after turning 25. “I personally do not think that family life and an acting career are incompatible. But the deciding factor is whether the industry would accommodate a married woman to continue in the lead role,” the star-actor apparently said once.

Unnatural death?

Unfortunately, two years after Arakkillam, Kumari passed away suddenly. She was just 37 when she breathed her last on June 10, 1969. According to The Hindu, no daily newspapers had much information about her death, except for the detail that she had passed away following a stomach ailment. Soon, rumours surfaced that her death was unnatural. As per a 2016 report in the publication, Kumari lived in isolation during her final days, seemingly indifferent to what was happening around her. The report also claimed that she appeared tormented to some local film journalists, who were familiar with her situation, as she seemed to be reeling under mental agony, fear, and frustration. “We knew that she was not happy at all after she left cinema. Several doubts and questions about her death still linger. But somehow they were not probed,” former MP Sebastian Paul, who also worked as a film journalist at one point in his career, noted.

However, several details mentioned in this report are in direct contrast to information available in the aforementioned 2021 TNM article, based on findings by Malayalam cinema scholar Darshana S Mini and direct quotes from Babu Thaliath, the youngest of Kumari’s three sons.

Miss Kumari with Sathyan in Arakkillam, her last movie. (Credit: misskumari.com)

Sathyan and Prem Nazir on Miss Kumari

Regardless of how Kumari passed away, there’s no doubt that her demise shocked both the film industry and the audience, even though the tragic incident happened years after she stepped away from the limelight. “I was shocked beyond words. Kumari acted as my sister in my first movie (Aathmasakhi) and she has remained my dear sister ever since. Kumari was a well-behaved, cultured girl. During the outdoor shooting of Manaswini, while I was staying at Bharat Tourist Home in Ernakulam, one day, Kumari and her husband took me to their house in their car. I returned after seeing my sister leading a happy married life as a humble and obedient homemaker. That day, as I was returning, Kumari said, ‘I often hear that many film stars visit Ernakulam. But none of them bother to visit here. Please don’t see me as a stranger,'” Sathyan said at the Malayala Chalachithra Parishad’s condolence meeting.

Taking part in the meet, Prem Nazir reportedly shared, “I was shocked to hear about her demise; it was like I had lost a dear family member. Death is often like an ill-timed joker, but this news was very unexpected. I had tears in my eyes. Kumari was among the most dedicated and gifted artistes we had.” Even after 56 years, Miss Kumari’s name remains an enduring part of Malayalam cinema’s history.