Malayalam cinema history comprises not just those who scaled great heights and achieved it all, but also those who tried greatly but couldn’t soar. This, nonetheless, doesn’t make them tragic figures; it simply means they never received their due. Take Saleema, for instance. Although she never managed to capitalise on the love she received from the audience and her subsequent popularity in the 1980s, Malayalees continue to cherish her for her performances. The daughter of renowned comedy actor Girija, who appeared in about 300 films across the Telugu and Tamil industries, Saleema entered Tinseltown by playing a small role in director Dasari Narayana Rao’s Meghasandesam (1982), starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Jaya Prada, and Jayasudha in the lead roles. Although she subsequently appeared in a couple of Tamil films, it was her foray into Malayalam cinema that gave her career momentum.…