Suma Jayaram – Popular Malayalam actress of 1990s

Suma Jayaram is a film and television actress who worked in Malayalam entertainment industry in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She has also appeared in a very few Tamil films. She gained recognition through TV serials, and later got a few film roles. Most of them were character roles. Her popular roles include – Kuttettan, Ulsavappittennu, Kasthuriman, Ishtam etc.

Suma Jayaram played the titular role in the popular series, Aruna (1993)

Since childhood she was interested in acting. She participated in cultural events since then. Her father’s friend informed her about a film, and that’s how she got her first break, Moonnam Mura. However her first release was Ulsavappittennu, where she played the character role of Malathi. She always played supporting roles on screen. Some of her roles of 1990s include – Ente Sooryaputhrikku, Mazhayethum Munpe, His Highness Abdulla, Kanyakumariyil Oru Kavitha, Congratulations Miss Anitha Menon, Sthalathe Pradhana Payyans, Police Diary, Ekalavyan, Kabuliwala, Post Box Number 27, Vachanam etc.

She started accepting TV roles when she couldn’t gain roles from films , and gained recognition playing lead role in Doordarshan serial, Aruna – her debut TV serial. She turned busier in TV serials, as film roles started drying up. After Mazhayethum Munpe, she took a small break from films in the 1990s. Then she appeared in a few more films in the 2000s. Kasthuriman was her last release.

Her marriage with childhood friend Lallush Philip in 2013

She married her childhood friend, Philip in 2013 at the age of 37, which was something like a dream come true and at the age of 48, in 2022, she gave birth to twin boys. Philp is a business man. After marriage she fully quit acting. Though remained a popular actress of 1990s, she got less opportunities from films. She was active in TV serials till 2011, and was seen in daily soaps such as Stree, Stree Hridayam etc. She also appeared in ‘Summer in America’, co-starring Ravi Vallathol, Mallika Sukumaran, Ambika etc. She stayed in US for 6 months, during shooting.

Suma Jayaram – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. Her real name is Mary Sumi. As her mom is a fan of Vani Jayaram, she was rechristened as Suma Jayaram.

2. She got into films when her father George died, and as the eldest kid, she had to take family responsibilities. Belonging to a conservative Christian family, many relatives didn’t like her career in films.

3. She acted in around 25 television serials and 55 tele-films. She took break when she got bored with her acting career.

4. Aruna’s younger sister Teresa Rani is married to popular film director Anwar Rashid. Teresa produced the film, Bhootakalam. Aruna has two more siblings, and all are associated with film industry.

5. Aruna’s mother has also appeared in a few films. She played heroine’s mother in Mammootty starrer, Bheeshma.

6. She has produced one film, Aadi.

7. She follows strict day routine, and believes age is just a number. She sleeps at 8.30 pm and wakes up at 4.30 am. The routine changed after giving birth to twins.

8. She loves travelling, and during her acting days as ‘single’, she travelled a lot. After marriage too, she travelled a lot. She is a foodie too.

9. She has revealed in an interview that – she and her husband were neighbours and childhood friends of same age while staying in Tanjavur. Both were 10. Moms of both used to visit church together, and when asked her to pray for good alliance, as a child she has prayed to get married to Lallush Philip when she grows up.