Let’s see...
I think one of the most talented actresses in Malayalam cinema is Urvashi. She can assume any role with perfect ease. Be it childish, romantic, serious, petty, tragic- she becomes the character she has to portray. A classic of hers is Thalayanamanthram (that petty, small minded wife, in whom we all see small reflections of ourselves- tho’ maybe not to that extent!) ;-)
The next one that comes to mind is Karthika- an extremely talented old time actress who gave some very good characters to Mollywood, but who bid goodbye to acting post her shaadi. (Some of my non-mallu readers might no know her) Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (Yeh Mera Ghar , Yeh Tera Ghar was a remake of this classic), Deshadanakilikal, Idanazhilyiloru Kalocha etc were some exceptionally good movies of hers.
Revathy is another cult favourite of mine, but guess she belongs more to Tamil than to Malayalam cinema. I loved Kattathe Kilikkoodu, as also Punnagai Mannan, Mouna Ragam, VAidehi Kaathirunthal... Suhasini is another lady who straddles both languages with panache- Koodevide in Mallu and Sindhu Bhairavi in Tamil are some of my favourites of hers.
KPAC Lalitha is one of the pillars of Malayalam cinema. Countless are the roles she has portrayed of a middleclass Mallu lady, each role packed with perfection. She tickled the funnybone effortlessly with her artlessnes/coyness/naturalness.
Here I also have to mention Sukumari- if KPAC is a pillar, Sukumari is one of the beams! As an aggressive, speak-her-mind lady who could carry off all kinds of attire, from modern to traditional , normal to ludicrous, she has no parallel.
These two ladies have gifted Mollywood a treasure trove of characters to study when essaying comedy- from the in-your-face kind to the subtle, to the totally totally funny, whichever way you look at it.
In today’s breed, I particularly like Meera Jasmine. She brings a spontaneity to all of her roles, a freshness that’s rare and very pleasing. I would label her as the Kajol of Mollywood.
Srividya is another actress who has given a rare poignance to some of her roles. And she is one actress who is the epitome of feminine beauty, with large luminous eyes and perfectly shaped features. OK maybe she was rather too fat, but she had a grace all her own. Her portrayal of a conscience-stricken housewife in Rachana, is especially poignant.
There are plenty of other talented ladies as well, but these are a few of my favourites...