Hailed as Malayalam cinema’s ultimate beauty icon, THIS actress rejected a Mammootty starrer which was later portrayed by Silk Smitha

In Malayalam cinema, few characters have lingered in public memory like Clara from ‘Thoovanathumbikal’. Penned and directed by P. Padmarajan, Clara was neither a conventional heroine nor a token symbol of rebellion. She possessed autonomy, sensuality, vulnerability, and strength without being stripped of her femininity. It was Sumalatha who brought this layered woman to life, turning Clara into an enduring emblem of beauty and emotional complexity. For many Malayalees, the character and the actor became inseparable, each enhancing the other’s mystique.Interestingly, Sumalatha was not Malayali by birth. Raised in a Telugu-speaking family in Chennai, she stepped into films at just 15 with ‘Thisai Maariya Paravaigal’ opposite Sarath Babu. Opportunities across industries followed swiftly. She appeared with Dr. Rajkumar in ‘Ravichandra’ and shared the screen with Rajinikanth in hits like ‘Murattu Kaalai’ and ‘Kazhugu’, cementing her popularity across the South. Her ascent in Malayalam films was equally dramatic. After projects like ‘Moorkhan’ with Jayan and ‘Nizhal Yudham’ alongside Sukumaran, she starred opposite the legendary Prem Nazir in ‘Kilungaatha Changalakal’. The massive success of ‘Kolilakkam’ further elevated her status. Soon, she headlined a string of popular films including ‘Munnettam’, ‘Thenum Vayambum’, ‘John Jaffer Janardhanan’, and ‘Chakravalam Chuvannappol’.She also delivered memorable performances opposite Mohanlal in classics such as ‘Thoovanathumbikal’ and ‘Thazhvaram’. However, her most commercially successful collaborations were with Mammootty in films like ‘Nirakkoottu’, ‘Shyama’, and ‘New Delhi’, where their chemistry became a major draw for audiences.Despite their winning pairing, Sumalatha once walked away from a Mammootty project, ‘Adharvam’. Directed by Dennis Joseph and written by Shibu Chakravarthy, the film featured one of Mammootty’s most unconventional roles and later earned critical appreciation.Why did she decline it? As mentioned by the Indian Express, screenwriter Kaloor Dennis revealed that the role carried a pronounced “glamorous” tone. “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 (the producer),” he wrote.He later clarified, “The character intended for Sumalatha had a somewhat glamorous shade to it. She and her mother were not interested in doing such roles… Eventually, Silk Smitha played that role. It perfectly suited her physique and glamorous image. Sumalatha was not the kind of person who would accept any role merely for money.”Ironically, her career suffered no setback. The blockbuster success of ‘New Delhi’ only strengthened her star power, prompting filmmakers to design roles specifically for her. Notable examples include ‘Isabella’, ‘David David Mr David’, ‘Dhinarathrangal’, ‘Unnikrishnante Adyathe Christmas’, and ‘Nair Saab’. Even after the ‘Adharvam’ episode, she reunited with Mammootty in films such as ‘Ee Thanutha Veluppan Kalathu’, ‘Parampara’, and ‘Purappadu’.In 1991, Sumalatha married Kannada superstar and politician Ambareesh and stepped away from films for a significant period. The couple has a son, Abhishek. Following Ambareesh’s passing in 2018, she entered active politics and, in 2019, won the Mandya Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka as an independent candidate. She later joined the BJP.