Thiruvananthapuram: The mortal remains of Santhakumari Amma will be brought on Wednesday morning to Hill View on Kesavadev Road, Mudavanmugal—a house Mohanlal had once described as orphaned after his mother fell ill. She will be laid to rest at the house compound near the graves of Mohanlal’s father K Vishwanathan Nair and brother Pyarelal.

Santhakumari Amma’s body will be brought from Kochi on Wednesday morning, and the cremation will be held at 4 pm at the house compound. The house at Mudavanmugal was built by Mohanlal’s father, then a Secretariat employee, when Mohanlal was three years old. The location for Mohanlal’s first film, ‘Thiranottam’, was also this house. Mohanlal has said that despite repeated requests, his mother was unwilling to leave the house where she had lived alone for many years. During the Covid period, when he could not travel to Thiruvananthapuram, he shared how painful it was to hear his mother’s voice only over the phone from Chennai. His childhood memories also include accompanying his mother to the library at Poojappura to take books.

Following a paralytic stroke 12 years ago, Shanthakumari Amma moved to Mohanlal’s house in Kochi. It was his mother who first recognised the early signs of the actor in him. When ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’ was released, both his parents went together to watch the film. The remarks heard in the theatre—“Oh no, the ‘kaalan’ (Yama) is coming,” on seeing Mohanlal as a villain—had hurt her deeply. Later, seeing her son appear on television as a hero and other innocent characters brought her comfort.

Mohanlal once described his mother using the words of Maxim Gorky that when he is in pain, his mind finds refuge in the deep blue of his mother’s eyes.

Shanthakumari Amma embraced many children from neighbouring families who lived lives marked by hardship and loneliness, and Mohanlal stood by her in these efforts. He recalled how he always listened when she would say, “Lalu, that is a poor child; we can educate that child.”

Writer P Padmarajan’s wife Radhalakshmi has reminisced that on days when “Shanthachechi” visited, waves of laughter filled the otherwise silent house, emptied of guests. The Ambassador car bearing the registration number KCT 4455, once owned by Mohanlal’s father, is still preserved at the long-locked Mudavanmugal house. The space for Shanthakumari Amma’s final rites has been prepared in the backyard. Mohanlal’s friends M B Sanilkumar and Poojappura Radhakrishnan, along with ward member V Gopakumar, are overseeing the arrangements at Hill View.

Santhakumari Amma of Elanthoor

Elanthoor: Mohanlal grew up listening to the stories and poems narrated by his mother Santhakumari within the inner quarters of the Punnaykkal ancestral home. As she departs, she leaves behind many memories for the small town of Elanthoor in Pathanamthitta.

Born to Padmanabha Pillai and Gaurikutty Amma at the Punnaykkal ancestral home, Santhakumari moved away from Elanthoor only after her marriage. The shift came after her husband Vishwanathan Nair secured a job at the Secretariat. Even so, she returned home regularly during holidays. Her visits stopped only after she became ill.

Mohanlal has often spoken about childhood moments with his mother, including memories of playing traditional games together.

Santhakumari Amma was initially not keen on her son entering cinema, but she did not oppose his wish and eventually gave her consent, relatives recall.