JC Daniel award for veteran actor Sarada

Veteran actor Sarada has been named the recipient of the 2024 JC Daniel Award, the highest honour instituted by the Kerala government for lifetime contribution to cinema. Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian announced the decision in a press release, recognising Sarada’s enduring impact on Malayalam cinema across decades.

The JC Daniel Award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, a citation, and a sculpture. The award will be presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony scheduled to be held on January 25, 2026, at Nishagandhi Auditorium in Thiruvananthapuram.

The awardee was chosen by a jury committee chaired by lyricist and filmmaker Sreekumaran Thampi, himself a JC Daniel Award recipient in 2017. Actor Urvashi and director Balu Kiriyath were members of the panel, with C. Ajoy, secretary of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, serving as the member secretary. At 80, Sarada becomes the 32nd film personality to receive the state’s most prestigious film honour.

Known for her restrained performances and emotional depth, Sarada brought dignity and complexity to roles that reflected the struggles, resilience, and inner lives of women of that period.

Sarada won her first National Film Award for Best Actress in 1968 for her powerful performance in ‘Thulabharam’.
Born on June 25, 1945, in Tenali, Andhra Pradesh, Sarada was originally named Saraswathi Devi, the daughter of Venkateswara Rao and Satyavani Devi. She adopted the screen name Sarada while acting in her first Telugu film. Her entry into Malayalam cinema came in 1965 with ‘Inapravukal’, written by Muttathu Varkey and directed by Kunchacko.

She soon became a beloved presence for Malayali audiences through acclaimed films such as ‘Murappennu’, scripted by MT Vasudevan Nair and directed by Vincent, and ‘Iruttinte Athmavu’, scripted by MT and directed by P. Bhaskaran. Over her career, Sarada has acted in more than 125 Malayalam films, including ‘Udyogastha’, ‘Yakshi’, ‘Adimakal’, ‘Asuravithu’, ‘Koottukudumbam’, ‘Nadi’, ‘Ennippadikal’, ‘Elippathayam’, and ‘Rappakal’.

Sarada also holds the distinction of being the first Malayalam actress to have her body of work showcased in the retrospective section of the International Film Festival of Kerala. Her films were screened at the 24th edition of IFFK in 2019, reaffirming her legacy as one of Malayalam cinema’s most influential performers.