`She is irreplaceable'
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Some of the actors and directors who worked with Srividya pay homage to her.
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Sreekumaran Thampy
She is irreplaceable. That is why I decided to stop the screening of `Ammathamburatti.' It was for my film `Jeevitham Oru Ganam' that she won her first award. We went on to do six films together. Each cast her in a very different role. Similarly she made her debut on television in my telefilm `Mohanadarshanam.' During the shoot of `Swantham Enna Padham,' a photographer had clicked a photo of her with my son, Rajkumaran Thampy. An emotional Vidya made me promise her that she would be cast as the mother when Rajkumaran played the hero in a film. To keep that promise, I called her and asked her in 1995 whether she would be interested in the tele-film. Although she was very busy, she agreed. Her dedication was unmatched.
K.B. Ganesh Kumar
I met Srividya on the sets of `Adaminte Variyal' as a star struck fan. Later, in my debut film `Erakal' I had to act with veterans like Srividya, Thilakan and Nedumudi Venu. I was terribly nervous but Srividya went out of the way to make me feel comfortable and encouraged me. That was the beginning of a bond between us. We continued to keep in touch.
It was during the shoot of `Olympian Antony' that we became close. She went thorough a legal crisis and I was able to help her and guide her. Finally, it was perhaps because of our bond that she decided to settle in Thiruvananthapuram. She used to say that I was her father, mother, brother and friend.
She had tremendous will power that helped her overcome many of the setbacks in her life. Her greatest desire was to begin a school of music in her mother's name. I intend to see that her desire is fulfilled. But it will be in her name and her mother's too. We plan to start the school in her house in the capital city.
Bharat Gopi
Malayalam cinema has lost an actor who epitomised the Malayali woman. She exuded class and grace, a rare quality in an actor. Her eyes spoke and conveyed the right emotions. She was a director's delight as she could portray exactly what the director had in mind. Many of our films such as `Rachna,' `Adaminte Variyal,' `Panchavati Palam' and `Kaatathekillikoodu' had us playing husband and wife.
With a look or expression she could express what kind of a relationship the couple had. Her scorn and derision for her selfish husband was evident in `Adaminte Variyal.' In `Rachna' she played a submissive wife who was forced by her husband to be a pawn in his plan to enact a drama to develop his script. But in `Kaatathekillikoodu,' she played the loving wife and mother to perfection. Humour was not alien to her either. It is difficult to measure or estimate what it is that cinema has lost but I doubt if there would be anyone like her in the near future.
Lenin Rajendran
She was the most dedicated actor in Malayalam cinema and there was no one who could beat her diction and clarity in dialogue delivery. She assimilated the character and her language and intonation changed accordingly. We worked together in three films - `Swati Tirunal,' `Bhajanam' and `Daivathinte Vikruthigal.' If she was regal and maternal in `Swati Tirunal,' her expressive eyes captured her pain and disillusion in `Bhajanam' while she breathed life into `Maggie Madamma' in `Daivathinte Vikruthigal.' She used to say she wanted to play the role of a godmother a la Shabana Azmi in `Godmother.'
She was one of the few actors in Malayalam cinema who actually read books.
Kavalam Srikumar
Although she left it a little late to completely hone her musical talent, her musical knowledge was phenomenal. She had composed more than hundred kritis in Tamil and Malayalam and even set them to music. All her compositions were like prayers to the Almighty.
S.N.
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