| Actress | Notable Films | Distinction | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Avanavan Kadamba , Aa Rathri | Bold, glamorous, and unconventional for her time. | | Menaka (Suresh Kumar) | Oru CBI Diary Kurippu , Padayottam | Elegant lead; later became a producer. | | Rohini | Padayani , Kireedam | Natural actress; also a celebrated director and dubbing artist. | | Mohanlal’s heroines (many overlapped) | e.g., Sumalatha , Urvashi , Kalpana | Urvashi is a National Award winner ( Achuvinte Amma ). | | Shobana | Manichitrathazhu , Thenmavin Kombath | Classical dancer; National Award for Mitr, My Friend . | | Revathi | Kireedam , Kilukkam | Also a top director; known for expressive eyes and natural acting. |
This era saw a shift toward family dramas and strong female-centric stories. list of malayalam film actress