‘They asked me to abandon her...’ This Malayalam actress left home to care for her elderly mother

Pathanapuram(Kollam): Malayalam actress Lovely Babu, widely recognised for her performances in theatre, films and television serials, has taken a bold personal decision to step away from her career to care for her 92-year-old mother.

According to reports, Lovely faced pressure within her family after her husband and children showed little willingness to look after the elderly woman. At one point, her husband allegedly suggested leaving her mother in places like Oachira or Guruvayur.

Unwilling to abandon her mother, Lovely chose instead to leave her own home and move into Gandhi Bhavan with her. The decision has put her acting career on hold, but Lovely says being by her mother’s side is more important than continuing in films at this stage of life.

In a video shared on social media by Gandhi Bhavan vice-chairman Amal, Lovely spoke candidly about her decision.

“My husband told me to either abandon my mother in Oachira or leave her in Guruvayur. That was a deeply painful moment for me. From then on, I kept thinking about where I could take my mother. But if I left her somewhere, she would feel lonely, and it would cause her emotional distress. I am her only daughter. Doesn’t my mother have the right to hope? Later, I thought, if I went along with her, she would feel happy. So I asked her if we could go somewhere together. My mother replied, ‘If you are with me, I can live anywhere.’” Lovely said.

“She raised her children and grandchildren with love. But as time changed, the children changed too. When she called her two children, they came, but left without even seeing her. I couldn’t bear that pain. When my mother asked why they didn’t come, I told her they would come soon. She kept waiting until evening, believing they would arrive, but they never did. My mother has me to look after her. But who will look after me? For that, I place my trust in Gandhi Bhavan,” she added.

The actress also shared a glimpse of her career in the video. She made her film debut with 'The Gift of God' and has appeared in films such as 'Nalu Pennungal', 'Bhagyadevatha', 'Marykkundoru Kunjaadu', 'Thanmathra', 'Puthiya Mukham', 'Pranayam', and 'Venicile Vyapari’, among others.