Meena Ganesh, a beloved actress in the Malayalam film industry, passed away on Thursday morning in Shoranur, Palakkad. She was 81 years old and had been in a private hospital for five days after suffering a stroke.
Meena had a brilliant career, acting in over 400 Malayalam movies and many TV shows and theater productions. Some of her famous films include Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum, Meesha Madhavan, and Karumadikuttan. She was also active in Kerala’s theater community, performing with well-known groups and winning several awards.
She began her acting career at 19, starting in theater and later moving to film with P.A. Backer’s Manimuzhakkam. Her big break came in 1991 when she played Pathumma in the movie Mukhamudra. Born in 1942 in Kallekulangara, Palakkad, Meena was the daughter of the Tamil film actor K.P. Keshavan. She started acting in her school days with the Koppam Brothers Arts Club and later performed in Tamil Nadu, impressing audiences in Coimbatore, Erode, and Salem.
In 1971, she married A.N. Ganesh, a well-known playwright and director. They started the Pournami Kalamandir theater group in Shoranur, but it closed after three years due to money problems. Meena then worked with other theater groups, showcasing her talents in plays like Panchajanyam and Fasah. Her performance as Kulsumbi in Fasah was widely praised. The play Panchajanyam, written and directed by her husband, was very successful and ran for three years. Together, Meena and Ganesh acted in over 20 of his plays.
Meena is survived by her son, director Manoj Ganesh, and her daughter, Sangeetha. The funeral will take place on Thursday evening at Shanthitheeram in Shoranur, Palakkad.
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