Born in Kerala, to Narayanan and Karthyayani, as an eighth child among ten children, Santhakumari is mostly noted for appearing in Malayalam films. In 1977, for the critically acclaimed movie Chuvanna Vithukal, she received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress. Her 2017 release includes the drama film Devayaanam. Directed and written by Sukesh Roy, the movie stars Malavika Menon and K. P. A. C. Lalitha in the lead roles.