Veteran Malayalam actress Shanta Devi dies

Kozhikode, Nov 20 (IANS) Veteran Malayalam film actress Shanta Devi died at a private hospital near here Saturday. She was 85.

In a career spanning close to six decades, she acted in 480 films besides numerous plays.

Shanta was ailing for some time and before being shifted to the hospital, she was staying in an old age home near here after her only son moved to Tamil Nadu.

She began her film career in 1957 in Ramu Kariat's 'Minaminungu' and her last film was Anwar Rasheed's 'Bridge' which was one of the 10 short films featured in 'Kerala Cafe' that was released last year.

In 1992, she won the National Award for the best actress in the film 'Yamanam'.

Her body would be kept at the Town Hall here for the public to pay homage and her last rites would take place at the Mavoor public crematorium at 2 p.m. Sunday.