Epitome of female beauty in Malayalam cinema, this actress declined a Mammootty film as the role was ‘glamorous’; Silk Smitha did it eventually | Malayalam News
Clara! Just imagine the impact a character has had on the psyche of a populace if the mere mention of her name brings her face to people’s minds. Even though Malayalam cinema has created many iconic characters over the decades, Clara stands out as a literal queen. Not only was she extremely different from the typical film heroines of that era, but legendary writer-director P Padmarajan gave her something most women could only dream of back then: agency. Yet, he didn’t compromise on her femininity, nor did he inject masculinity into her to ‘justify’ her agency. After all, who better than Padmarajan to write extremely layered characters, incorporating all shades, and yet making them the most charming? Malayalees still don’t know where her beauty stems from: the character or the actor who immortalised her. Maybe it’s both. Either way, it’s undeniable that, through Thoovanathumbikal’s Clara, actor Sumalatha became the epitome of female beauty in Malayalam cinema and the face of the empowered heroine.
What’s ironic here is that Sumalatha isn’t even a Malayali. Born into a Telugu-speaking family in Chennai, she entered the world of cinema at 15, playing the female lead opposite Sarath Babu in the Tamil movie Thisai Maariya Paravaigal (1979). She grabbed attention soon after and made her Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada debuts in no time. While she shared the screen with Dr Rajkumar in Ravichandra, Sumalatha appeared alongside Rajinikanth in Murattu Kaalai and Kazhugu, thus rising to fame across South India.
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Sumalatha’s rise to stardom in Malayalam
Her ascent to fame was rapid in Malayalam too. After sharing the screen with Jayan in Moorkhan and Sukumaran in Nizhal Yudham, she was cast as Prem Nazir’s heroine in Kilungaatha Changalakal. She became a star with her role in Kolilakkam, Jayan’s swansong. Subsequently, she headlined notable movies like Munnettam, Thenum Vayambum, John Jaffer Janardhanan, and Chakravalam Chuvannappol, becoming a beloved figure among Malayalees.
While she shared the screen with many leading men, including Mohanlal in all-time classics such as Thoovanathumbikal and Thazhvaram, her biggest successes were with Mammootty. Not only did Nirakkoottu, Shyama, and New Delhi emerge as major hits, but her performances in these movies also received widespread acclaim, and her on-screen chemistry with Mammootty impressed all.
Sumalatha played lead role in many Malayalam classics. (Express archive photo)
Why did Sumalatha decline a Mammootty movie?
However, despite the Mammootty-Sumalatha combo becoming the audience’s favourite, she once declined to work on a film headlined by him. The movie we are talking about is Adharvam, directed by legendary screenwriter Dennis Joseph and penned by veteran lyricist Shibu Chakravarthy. One of Mammootty’s most experimental films, his character in it was unlike any the megastar had played before, and his performance earned him significant acclaim.
So, why did Sumalatha turn down the offer? Ace screenwriter Kaloor Dennis recently wrote about this, saying she made the decision because she felt the role was too “glamorous.” “Although Sumalatha had acted as the female lead in many films scripted by Dennis Joseph by then, she withdrew from Adharvam at the last minute. This sudden withdrawal deeply upset Eraaly (Adharvam’s producer). Despite being very close to Dennis, Sumalatha and her mother were unable to reveal the reason behind their backing out of the project at the time,” Kaloor Dennis wrote in Grihalakshmi.
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Mohanlal and Sumalatha in Thoovanathumbikal. (Screenshot: YouTube/MZmalayalammoviecafe)
He added, “It was only later that the real story behind her withdrawal from Adharvam came to light. The character intended for Sumalatha had a somewhat glamorous shade to it. She and her mother were not interested in doing such roles. Due to the difficulty in telling Dennis this directly, they backed out by citing some other inconvenience. Eventually, Silk Smitha played that role. It was a character that perfectly suited Silk’s physique and glamorous image. Sumalatha was not the kind of person who would take on just any role simply for the sake of money.”
However, with New Delhi also turning out to be a blockbuster, Sumalatha became a massive star in Malayalam, much like in other languages, and creators began crafting roles and movies specifically for her, with the best examples being Isabella, David David Mr David, Dhinarathrangal, Unnikrishnante Adyathe Christmas, and Nair Saab. Even after the Adharvam incident, she appeared alongside Mammootty in movies such as Ee Thanutha Veluppan Kalathu, Parampara, and Purappadu.
Sumalatha with her husband, Ambareesh, and their son, Abhishek. (Express archive photo)
Sumalatha married actor-politician Ambareesh in 1991, after which she took a long hiatus from acting before returning to the screen more frequently in the middle of the last decade. They have a son, Abhishek. Ambareesh passed away in 2018. She entered politics in 2019 and won the Mandya Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka as an independent candidate. She is now a member of the BJP.
