Adoor sisters awarded

While announcing State professional drama awards (2007) on Sunday at a press conference, Education and Culture Minister M.A. Baby said that veteran actors Adoor Bhavani and her sister, Adoor Pankajam, were selected for the lifetime achievement award which carries a citation, plaque and cash prize of Rs. 30,000.

'Kadathanattamma', directed by Manoj Narayanan and presented by Kozhikode Rangabhasha Theatres, won the State award for the best professional drama in 2007. Rajeevan Mammili won the award for the best director for Rashtrapithavu. M.C. Kattappana won the award for the best male actor and Usha Chandrababu for the best female actor.

Adoor Pankajam and Adoor Bhavani, who essayed memorable roles in a good number of Malayalam movies, are popularly known as supporting actresses, hailing from Adoor in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. Both the sisters once had their own drama troupes in Adoor and have acted in as many as 350 movies each, that include memorable performances in Chemmeen, the first Malayalam film that won a National Award.

In 1969, Adoor Bhavani won the Kerala state film award for the second best actress. She was awarded the Chalachithra Saparya Lifetime Achievement award by Mathrubhumi-Medimix in 2002.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademy also decided to honour thespians Adoor Bhavani and Adoor Pankajam for their overall contributions to the field of theatre and drama in the State.