Tamil cinema moms are a rare breed. They bear pain stoically, raise their kids single-handedly, and still find time to sing suprabaatham in front of a well maintained tulasi plant. A class apart from their North Indian counterparts, they are the epitome of sacrifice and can often be found at the clutches of the villain at some particular point.
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With popular Carnatic singer Sowmya being the latest mom-convert, here’s a look at the iconic Tamil cinema moms /actresses who made a lasting impact on pop culture, and even sometimes played moms to the heroes they once romanced.
1. Manorama
Actress Manorama Pays Homage to Actor SS Rajendran
The eighties brought about a change in Manorama. From the reigning comedy queen, she became the go to actress for every director in need of a sappy, sentimental mom who can bear anything for the sake of her darling son(s).
Mom Type: Sumaithaangi
2. MV Rajamma
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Rajamma was the mom burdened with a secret knowledge of something potentially threatening to the hero’s existence. With a perpetually perplexed expression on her face, this mom was the sort who’d always sigh heavily and stare into the distance. The troubles of the world would always weigh her down. Always.
Mom Type: Emo
Image Credit – Wikipedia
3. Pandari Bai
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Pandari Bai was best known for playing the childlike, innocent mom to Rajinikanth in Mannan. Being carried around by the Superstar for about five minutes, with KJ Yesudas singing about the glories of motherhood in the background, gave Pandari a lasting place in the hearts of young Tamil men all over.
Mom Type: Appaavi
Image Credit – Wikipedia
4. Kannamba
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Kannamba was perhaps the earliest instance of an actress who played mom to the heroes she once romanced. Being the powerhouse talent that she is, she went on to carve a niche all for herself with an iconic performance as the Queen Mother in Manohara.
Mom Type: Badass
Image Credit – Wikipedia
5. SN Lakshmi
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SN Lakshmi took on mother roles of the pleasant variety. Always torn between the son and the father in movie-land, SN Lakshmi’s moms were stuck between a rock and a hard place. And stayed there.
Mom Type: Historical – there to explain the origin of the hero.
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Image Credit – Wikipedia
6. Saranya Ponvannan
Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal Press Meet with Udhayanidhi Stalin
Saranya is the flavour of the season. She won awards for her performance in Raam, but it wasn’t till her National Award winning stint in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru, that the amma roles started pouring in.
Mom Type: Mother hen who fiercely loves her children, but isn’t afraid to slap them around if they go wrong.
7. Lakshmi Ramakrishnan
Actor Director Lakshmy Ramakrishna Exclusive Photoshoot for Silverscreen
Lakshmi plays the edgier mom characters around – you know, the kind that turns serial killer to avenge a daughter’s death. Since her directorial debut though, Lakshmi has kept herself behind the cameras…rarely venturing into mommy territory.
Mom Type: Edgy mom who isn’t afraid to kill
8. Nadhiya
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Nadhiya was the dream mother of the early 2000s. Elegant, stylish and picture perfect, she was the best example of the urban mom who juggled a career and family life.
Mom Type: The Tamil version of the soccer mom
9. Geetha
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Geetha was the perfect choice for the homemaker mother roles. She’d sacrifice her career for the sake of the children, and so, the girls that love her sons will never be good enough.
Mom Type: Passive aggressive mom who almost never likes her children’s choice of mates
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10. Sri Vidhya
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Sri Vidhya graduated from playing Rajinikanth’s object of affection, to being an object of his motherly affection.
Mom Type: Mom with a wild past (Thalapathy)
11. Sujatha
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Sujatha did everything with a difference. Her flair for acting landed her roles opposite Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan well into her sixties. From the no-nonsense belle they fell in love with, she became the no-nonsense mom they worshipped. Same difference.
Kadal Meengal, Avargal to Baba
Mom Type: No Nonsense
12. Sumithra
Nakshatra Tamil Actress Gallery
Sumithra was a loving mom who’d do anything to keep a promise. In Singaravelan, she sent Kamal Haasan, the man she romanced in Nizhalgal Nijamagiradhu, on a quest to find and marry the girl who was promised to him.
Mom Type: Unconventional
13. Anupama Kumar
Unnal Mudiyum Penne Book Launch with Dhansika, Gayathrie and Iyshwarya Rajesh
Thirty-something actress Anupama Kumar is way too young to be playing mom to heroes. But there’s no denying that she does such a good job of it. Anupama gave life to the new age mom – one who obviously loves her kids, but has a life outside her family too.
Mom Type: Mom with a Job
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14. Kiran Rathod
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Another latest mom-convert, the O Podu actress may not have had much to do in Aambala, but she has had the most seamless transition ever. From glamourous actress with not much to wear, she became glamourous mom with not much to wear.
