Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 16 : Veteran actress Sarada has been selected for the 2024 J.C. Daniel Award for Lifetime Contribution to Malayalam cinema, Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian said here on Friday.

The J.C. Daniel Award, the highest film honour instituted by the Kerala government, carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a citation and a statuette. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will present the award at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony scheduled to be held here on January 25.

The awardee was chosen by a jury chaired by noted lyricist and 2017 J.C. Daniel Award winner Sreekumaran Thampi, with actress Urvashi and filmmaker Balu Kiriyath as members, and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Secretary C. Ajoy.

The jury noted that Sarada is an actress of exceptional calibre who brought two National Film Awards for Best Actress to Malayalam cinema. From the 1960s over two decades, she succeeded in immortalising the Malayali woman on screen. Her restrained and nuanced portrayals vividly captured the suffering, endurance and emotional depth of women of that era.

She won her first National Film Award in 1968 for her performance in Thulabharam. She later earned national recognition again through Adoor Gopalakrishnanâ??s Swayamvaram (1972) and the Telugu film Nimajjanam (1977).

Sarada portrayed several unforgettable characters in films such as Thriveni, Murappennu, Mooladhanam and Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam, the jury observed, adding that she is richly deserving of the stateâ??s highest film honour.

Born on June 25, 1945, at Tenali in Andhra Pradesh to Venkateswara Rao and Satyavani Devi, Saraswathi Devi adopted the screen name Sarada while acting in her first Telugu film, Iru Mithrulu. She made her Malayalam debut in 1965 with Inapravukal, written by Muttathu Varkey and directed by Kunchacko.

Films such as Murappennu (directed by Vincent), Iruttinte Athmavu (directed by P. Bhaskaran) and several MT Vasudevan Nair-scripted works made her immensely popular among Malayali audiences.

Sarada has acted in over 125 Malayalam films, including Udyogastha, Yakshi, Adimakal, Asuravithu, Koottukudumbam, Nadi, Ennippadikal, Elippathayam and Rappakal.

/IANS