Veteran Tamil actress 'Aachi' Manorama no more

Veteran Tamil actress Manorama passed away on Saturday after multiple organ failure in Chennai. She was 78.

Manorama, who was lovingly called 'Aachi' by her fans, appeared in more than 1,000 films and holds the record of having acted with five chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, including M.G.R, Jayalaalitha and N T Rama Rao

Manorama who made her debut as a heroine in "Malayitta Mangai" in 1958 at the age of 12, later went on to become one of the finest female comedians in the Tamil film industry.

She has acted in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. 

B Kolappan in a report for The Hindu writes:

Her body language and dialogue delivery coupled with an affable nature secured her a permanent place in the Tamil film industry. Whether it was the corrupt Madras Tamil or dialects of Thanjavur or Madurai or the Kongu region, she rendered them all effortlessly.  

In one of her interviews last month, when asked if she had any regrets, the actress said "I've no regrets at all. I'm blessed in this life. Even in my next birth, I want to be born as Manorama again. I want this same life, and same people around me."

Manorama is survived by her son and singer-actor Boopathy and her body will be kept for public viewing at her house in Chennai from 1:30 pm on Sunday.

Tributes have already started pouring in for the loved actress.