Savithri Sreedharan

Savithri Sreedharan died on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, at her home in Mankavu, a neighbourhood of Kozhikode in Kerala. Malayalam theatre and film actor Savithri Sreedharan, who was active on the stage for more than four decades, died at her home in Mankavu, Kozhikode, Keralam on Wednesday, 23 September. Local reports said she died in the early hours of the morning, with one outlet reporting the time as around 4 am.

Her age at death has been reported inconsistently across outlets. Several Kerala publications gave her age as 83, while at least one report stated she was 85; because her exact date of birth was not a matter of public record, People Forever is unable to state her age with full certainty and notes both figures here for transparency.

A cause of death has not been formally announced by her family, but multiple Kerala news outlets reported that she had been suffering from prolonged, age related health problems and had, as a result, stepped back from acting work in her final period. Savithri has been battling with prolonged age-related ailment, one report noted, adding that she died at her residence in Mankavu.

Her death was reported within hours by major Kerala news outlets, and tributes began appearing across Malayalam film and theatre circles on the day of her passing, with many admirers and colleagues recalling her as the actress who gave voice and warmth to the character widely referred to simply as 'Umma', or mother, in Sudani from Nigeria. As of this report, no public statement had been issued detailing funeral or memorial arrangements; this page will be updated once such details are confirmed by her family or the Kozhikode theatre community.

Savithri Sreedharan spent the core of her working life on the Malayalam professional stage. After amateur beginnings in the early 1960s she joined Kalinga Theatre in 1984 and later performed with Sangamam, Chiranthana and Stage India. Productions associated with her include Rajyasabha, Ithu Bhoomiyanu, Pakida 12, Deepasthambham Mahascharyam and Aalmarattam. State honours for Best Theatre Artist in 1977 and 1993, and the 2009 Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Drama, marked her standing in Kozhikode theatre.

Her film work began with a mother role in M.T. Vasudevan Nair's Kadavu (1991) and continued selectively through Valiyangadi, Dakini, Virus and later supporting parts. Sudani from Nigeria (2018), directed by Zakariya Mohammed, made her nationally known as Jameela, or Umma. The role brought a Special Mention at the 66th National Film Awards and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Character Actress, along with Asianet and Filmfare supporting-actress honours in Malayalam.

She died at home in Mankavu, Kozhikode, on 23 September 2026 after age-related ailments, having recently left hospital care according to Kerala Kaumudi. Tributes from Malayalam film and theatre circles recalled the warmth of her Umma performance and the decades she spent touring with professional drama companies when that circuit still defined Kozhikode cultural life. Her husband Sreedharan had died earlier.