Sreelatha Namboothiri is a well famous Malayalam actress who is in the acting profession for a long span of about fifty years.She has acted as a child artist in the Malayalam film ‘Aashadeepam‘ in the year 1953.Her entry as a mature artist of films was in the year 1967 for the film ‘Khadeeja’.
Sreelatha was born to parents Balakrishnan Nair and Kamalamma at Karuvatta in Alappuzha district.Yesteryear actress Kumari Thankam is her father’s sister.Sreelatha entered K.P.A.C Drama troupe as a singer while she was a high school student and soon started to act on stage.In the year 1967 she got chance to act in the film ‘Khadeeja’ and since she got other offers continuously from films she chose to act in films rather than on stage.
She used to appear in supporting roles during the early stages of her acting career mostly as the close friend or sister of the heroine.Adoor Bhasi, the top comedy actor of those period realized her skill to portray comedy roles and made her his pair in large number of films.In many CID type films and other entertainment type films of directors like Sasikumar,A.B.Raj,Crossbelt Mani etc, Prem Nazir used to be the hero and Adoor Bhasi his close friend.In CID type films Nazir would be the detective and Bhasi his assistant.Bahadoor also was included along with Adoor Bhasi.
The trio, Adoor Bhasi,Sreelatha and Bahadoor created comedy ideas and scenes by themselves and performed nice comedy to amuse the audience in numerous films.In that period it was the duty and task of the comedy actors to create the comedy scenes to be performed in the film by themselves.In CID type films Adoor Bhasi,Sreelatha and Bahadoor used to act like fools to find out and reveal the secrets of the culprits which in turn became excellent comedy sequences.
Actress Meena used to act as mother of Sreelatha in such kind of films and she was also capable of playing comedy roles effectively well like Sreelatha.There are numerous unforgettable comedy scenes portrayed by this team in large number of films of the 70’s.Sreelatha was also a playback singer in Malayalam films during the 70’s who sung many songs out of which some are still popular.She sang comedy songs also along with Adoor Bhasi for certain films and the song like “Angadi marunnukal njan cholli tharam Oronnay” were very much liked by the audience.
Sreelatha underwent classical music training from the famous music composer and classical music exponent Dakshina Murthy.She has performed several classical music concerts and earned name and prestige in that field also.
She married Ayurvedic Physician Dr.Kalady Namboothiri and settled as a housewife at kunnamkulam near Guruvayoor in the early 80’s but was still appearing in films occasionally.Her husband Dr.Namboothiri was also an occasional actor who appeared in films like ‘Hridayam Oru Kshetram’ died in the year 2005, and after his death Sreelatha Namboothiri again became active in films.She acts in T.V. serials also and at present acting in serials like ‘Karutha Muthu’ on Asianet Channel.
At present she is acting character roles in films and in recent years has acted in films such as ‘Poppins,Ladies and
Gentleman,Nadodimannan,Vishudhan,Varsham’ etc.
Sreelatha Namboothiri is having two children and she is presently living in Thiruvananthapuram.
Selected Filmography
Khadeeja
Yakshi
Mooladhanam
CID Nazeer
Moonnupookkal
Lanka Dahanam
Azhakulla Saleena
Interview
Thacholi Marumakan Chanthu
Pattabhishekam
Hello Darling
Love Marriage
Thiruvonam
Neelaponman
Manishada
Panchami
Pickpocket
Rathriyile Yathrakkar
Lighthouse
Sathyavan Savithri
Sridevi
Vishukkani
Itha Ivide Vare
Amme Anupame
Acharam Ammini Osaram Omana
Panchamritham
Kadathanattu Makkam
Ashtamudikkayal
Madanolsavam
Anjathatheerangal
Thakara
Venalil Oru Mazha
Vellayani Paramu
Kathirmandapam
Vilkkanundu Swapnangal
Ambalavilakku
Kalika
Kari Puranda Jeevithangal
Ithikkara Pakki
Benz Vasu
Kololakkam
Ee Sabdam Innathe Sabdam
Vinodayathra
Nasrani
Minnaminnikoottam
Pramani
Kerala Cafe
Alexander the Great
Shikkar
Kapalika
Poppins
Vishudhan
Testpaper
Varsham
