Leading ladies of yesteryears honoured

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala state govt is working towards legislation to ensure women can work safely in various sectors, including cinema, said cultural affairs minister Saji Cherian. He spoke at the 'Marakkillorikkalum' event, organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Film Academy, to honour veteran actresses of Malayalam cinema as part of the 29th IFFK on Sunday. The minister emphasized that this year's festival highlights women's presence in the film industry.
The 'Marakkillorikkalum' event honoured actresses who shaped Malayalam cinema from its early days through the 1980s. The minister presented shawls and plaques to T R Omana, Vanchiyoor Radha, Vinodhini, Rajasree, K R Vijaya, Sacchu, Ushakumari, Sreelatha Namboothiri, Vidubala, Shobana, Kanakadurga, Reena, Mallika Sukumaran, Hema Chowdhary, Bhavani, Anupama Mohan, Shanthakumari, Surekha, Jalaja, Shanthikrishna, and Menaka. Profile videos showcasing their contributions were also screened.
The event symbolized the festival's focus on women's presence in cinema. Cherian expressed confidence that the 29th IFFK would become a part of history, with several unique events, including the honouring of 21 actresses spanning from TR Omana (who entered cinema in 1953) to Menaka and Shanthikrishna (who entered in 1981). The minister also highlighted the govt's efforts to increase women's representation in technical cinema fields.
The State Film Academy launched an employment training program last Sept to equip women with skills in production management, lighting, costume design, makeup, post-production, and marketing. This initiative aims to create job opportunities in professional film production companies. Cherian added that the festival's emphasis on women's representation is part of broader empowerment efforts.
Film Academy Chairman Premkumar said the honorees were an integral part of Malayalam cinema's history. Mallika Sukumaran, on behalf of the actresses, expressed gratitude to the government and Minister Cherian for the recognition.