Noted actress Sarada has been selected for the J.C. Daniel Award for 2024 in recognition of her lifetime contribution to the Malayalam film industry. The award was announced here on Friday by State Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian through a press release.
The J.C. Daniel Award, the highest film honour instituted by the Kerala government, carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, a citation, and a statuette. The award will be presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony to be held at Nishagandhi, Thiruvananthapuram, on January 25, 2026.
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The awardee was selected by a jury comprising film director, poet, and screenwriter Sreekumaran Thampi as chairperson; actress Urvashi and director Balu Kiriath as members; and Chalachitra Academy Secretary C. Ajoy as member secretary. Eighty-year-old Sarada is the 32nd recipient of the Kerala government’s highest film award.
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The jury noted that Sarada, who has displayed extraordinary acting talent, has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice for her performances in Malayalam cinema. She immortalised the Malayali woman of the decades following the 1960s on screen, portraying the sufferings and struggles of women of that era with remarkable restraint and depth. She won her first National Award in 1968 for her performance in Thulabharam.
Sarada gained national recognition with Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Swayamvaram (1972) and the Telugu film Nimajjanam (1977). The jury observed that her unforgettable performances in films such as Triveni, Murappennu, Aadhaanadam, and Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam make her a deserving recipient of the State’s highest film honour.
Born on June 25, 1945, in Tenali village of Andhra Pradesh to Venkateswara Rao and Satyavani Devi, Saraswathi Devi adopted the screen name Sarada with her debut Telugu film Irumithralu. She made her Malayalam film debut in 1965 with Inapravukal, written by Muttathu Varkey and directed by Kunchacko. Films such as Murappennu, directed by Vincent and scripted by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and Iruttinte Athmavu, directed by P. Bhaskaran and scripted by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, firmly established her as a beloved figure in Malayalam cinema.
Sarada has acted in over 125 Malayalam films, including Udyogastha, Yakshi, Adimakal, Asuravithu, Kottukudumbam, Nadi, Elippathayam, and Rappakal. She was the first Malayalam film actress to be featured in the retrospective section of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Her films were screened at the 24th edition of the festival in 2019.
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