Malayalam actress Savithri Sreedharan dies at 83

Veteran Malayalam theatre and film actress Savithri Sreedharan died on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the age of 83 at her residence in Mankavu, Kozhikode, after age-related illness. She had been bedridden for some time and was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments, according to reports. Sreedharan became widely known to film audiences for her portrayal of Jameela, the warm and reserved mother at the heart of Sudani from Nigeria, the 2018 film directed by Zakariya Mohammed. The role earned her a Special Mention at the 66th National Film Awards and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Character Actress. The film itself won Best Feature Film in Malayalam at the same National Film Awards ceremony. Recognition in cinema came only after several decades of work on the stage. Sreedharan began acting in amateur theatre in 1961 and spent more than four decades in Malayalam drama, performing in thousands of productions with prominent Kozhikode-based troupes including Kalinga, Sangamam, Stage India and Chiranthana.