Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress

Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress
Awarded by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy
Type	State
Category	Malayalam cinema
Description
Description	Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a Malayalam film
Statistics
Instituted	1969
First awarded	1969
Last awarded	2015
Total awarded	48
First awardee(s)	Sheela (Kallichellamma)
Recent awardee(s)	Parvathy (Charlie, Ennu Ninte Moideen)

The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress is an honour presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India since 1969 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role within the Malayalam film industry.^[1] Until 1997, the awards were managed directly by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Since 1998, the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, an autonomous non-profit organisation functioning under the Department of Cultural Affairs, has been exercising control over the awards.^[2] The awardees, decided by an independent jury formed by the academy,^[3] are declared by the Minister for Cultural Affairs and are presented by the Chief Minister.^[4]

The 1st Kerala State Film Awards ceremony was held in 1970 with Sheela receiving the Best Actress award for her role in Kallichellamma (1969).^[5][6] The following year, Sharada was recognised for her performances in two films—Thriveni and Thara. Since then, several actresses have been awarded for more than one film during a year.

Throughout the years, accounting for ties and repeat winners, the Government of Kerala has presented a total of 47 Best Actress awards to 30 different actresses. Urvashi has been the most frequent winner in this category, with five awards.^[7] She is followed by Sheela and Srividya with three awards each. As of 2015, eight actresses—Jayabharathi, Seema, Samyuktha Varma, Suhasini Maniratnam, Navya Nair, Meera Jasmine, Kavya Madhavan, and Shweta Menon—have won the award two times in their careers. The 2005 ceremony was the only occasion when the category was tied; Kavya Madhavan and Geetu Mohandas shared the award for their performances in Perumazhakkalam, and Akale and Oridam respectively. Parvathy is the most recent winner in this category, winning the award for her roles in Charlie (2015) and Ennu Ninte Moideen (2015).

Winners

*	Indicates a joint award for that year

Suhasini, Navya Nair, Meera Jasmine, Kavya Madhavan, and Shweta Menon (from top to bottom), all have won the award two times in their careers.

List of award recipients, showing the year, and film(s)

Year	Recipient(s)	Film(s)	Ref
1969	Sheela	Kallichellamma	[8]
1970	Sharada	Thriveni Thara	[8]
1971	Sheela	Oru Penninte Kadha Sarasayya Ummachu	[8]
1972	Jayabharathi	Various films	[8]
1973	Jayabharathi	Madhavikutty Gayathri	[8]
1974	Lakshmi	Chattakari	[8]
1975	Rani Chandra	Swapnadanam	[8]
1976	Sheela	Anubhavam	[8]
1977	Santhakumari	Chuvanna Vithukal	[8]
1978	Shoba	Ente Neelakaasham	[8]
1979	Srividya	Edavazhiyile Poocha Minda Poocha Jeevitham Oru Gaanam	[8]
1980	Poornima Jayaram	Manjil Virinja Pookkal	[8]
1981	Jalaja	Venal	[9]
1982	Madhavi	Ormakkayi	[9]
1983	Srividya	Rachana	[9]
1984	Seema	Aksharangal Aalkkoottathil Thaniye	[9]
1985	Seema	Anubandham	[9]
1986	Shari	Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal	[9]
1987	Suhasini	Ezhuthappurangal	[9]
1988	Anju	Rugmini	[9]
1989	Urvashi	Mazhavilkavadi Varthamana Kalam	[9]
1990	Urvashi	Thalayanamanthram	[9]
1991	Urvashi	Kadinjool Kalyanam Kakkathollayiram Bharatham Mukha Chithram	[10]
1992	Srividya	Daivathinte Vikrithikal	[10]
1993	Shobana	Manichitrathazhu	[10]
1994	Shanthi Krishna	Chakoram	[10]
1995	Urvashi	Kazhakam	[10]
1996	Manju Warrier	Ee Puzhayum Kadannu	[10]
1997	Jomol	Ennu Swantham Janakikutty	[10]
1998	Sangita	Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala	[10]
1999	Samyuktha Varma	Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal	[10]
2000	Samyuktha Varma	Madhuranombarakattu Mazha Swayamvara Panthal	[11]
2001	Suhasini	Theerthadanam	[11]
2002	Navya Nair	Nandanam	[11]
2003	Meera Jasmine	Kasthooriman Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam	[11]
2004	Kavya Madhavan*	Perumazhakkalam	[11]
2004	Geetu Mohandas*	Akale Oridam	[11]
2005	Navya Nair	Saira Kanne Madanguka	[11]
2006	Urvashi	Madhuchandralekha	[11]
2007	Meera Jasmine	Ore Kadal	[11]
2008	Priyanka Nair	Vilapangalkappuram	[11]
2009	Swetha Menon	Paleri Manikyam	[11]
2010	Kavya Madhavan	Khaddama	[11]
2011	Swetha Menon	Salt N' Pepper	[11]
2012	Rima Kallingal	22 Female Kottayam Nidra	[11]
2013	Ann Augustine	Artist	[12]
2014	Nazriya Nazim	Bangalore Days Ohm Shanthi Oshaana	[13]
2015	Parvathy	Charlie Ennu Ninte Moideen	[14]

References

1. Chandran, Baiju (16 January 2014). "The original super star". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
2. Festival Book. Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. 2004. p. 8.
3. India Today International. Living Media India Limited. 1999. p. 52.
4. "Sweta Menon's daughter hogs limelight at State Film Awards". Sify. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
5. Vijayakumar, B (18 January 2015). "Kallichellamma: 1969". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
6. Cultural Heritage of Kerala. D.C. Books. 2008. ISBN 978-81-264-1903-6.
7. Sangeeta (16 February 2007). "Memorable characters". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
8. "State Film Awards". Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
9. "State Film Awards (1981–90)". Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
10. "State Film Awards (1991–99)". Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
11. "State Film Awards (2000–12)". Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
12. Soman, Deepa (19 April 2014). "Fahadh Faasil, Lal and Ann are Kerala’s best actors of 2013!". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
13. James, Anu (10 August 2015). "Kerala State Film Awards 2014 Announced: Nivin Pauly, Nazriya Nazim, 'Bangalore Days', 'Ottal' Emerge Victorious". International Business Times. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
14. "'Charlie' Dominates Kerala State Film Awards 2015". The New Indian Express. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2016.