Malayalam actor Ambika Rao dies at 58; industry mourns loss
Sending shockwaves across the Malayalam film fraternity, noted actor and assistant director Ambika Rao passed away on Monday night due to cardiac arrest. According to reports, she breathed her last at a private hospital in Kochi, Kerala. She was 58. Rao was most popular for her performance in the hit film Kumbalangi Nights. May her soul rest in peace.
As per local media reports, Rao died at around 10:30pm on Monday at a private hospital in Ernakulum. She was suffering from kidney-related ailments for a while now and was recently receiving treatment after contracting COVID-19 as well. As soon as the tragic news surfaced online, various colleagues and fans of the actor came up to express their condolences online.
Malayalam superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty both took to their Facebook handles to mourn this huge loss. Sharing a picture of Rao, they wished her eternal peace. Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran also paid his respects by writing, "Rest in peace Ambika Chechi," on Twitter. Comments came from actor Tovino Thomas, actor-producer Kunchacko Boban, along with many directors, producers, and artists attached to Mollywood.
Starting her career as an assistant director in the early 2000s, Rao worked under many seasoned filmmakers, beginning her journey with Balachandra Menon's Krishna Gopalakrishna. She went on to work in Anwar Rasheed's directorial Rajamanikyam, Salt N' Pepper by Aashiq Abu, Vinayan's Vellinakshatram, and Thommanum Makkalum by Shafi, among others. Aside from directing, she also starred in many Malayalam films.
In Kumbalangi Nights (2019), Rao won laurels for playing mother to Baby (Anna Ben) and Simmy (Grace Antony). Acting roles in titles like Virus (2019), Anuraga Karikkin Vellam (2016), and Meesha Madhavan (2002) brought Rao both critical fame and the love of the movie-goers. She used to reside near Thiruvambadi Temple in Thrissur, reported The Hindu. Rao is survived by two sons—Rahul and Sohan.
