Veteran Malayalam Actress KPAC Lalitha Passes Away at Age 74

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 23 February 2022

KPAC Lalitha, the Malayalam actress whose brilliance shone through on stage, screen, and television, died on February 22nd in Kochi, three days before her 74th birthday. She had been suffering from liver failure and a slew of other health issues for some months.

Lalitha passed away at the residence of her son, actor and filmmaker Sidharth. Lalitha's spouse, Bharathan, was a well-known director of Malayalam new wave film, which began in the 1980s. He died in 1998.

On February 25, 1948, KPAC Lalitha was born Maheshwari Amma. Through theatre, she improved her ability to give naturalistic performances and her skill for giving her characters psychological depth. In her screen identity, she continued the heritage of her work with the Leftist theatrical troupe Kerala People's Arts Club.

In 1969, she made her film debut in KS Sethumadhavan's Koottukudumbam. Thoppil Bhasi's Ningalenne Communistakki, Oru Sundariyude Katha, Anubhavangal Paalichakal, Ponni and Chakravakam, Madhu's Manyasree Viswamithran, Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Swayamvaram and Kodiyettam, and Melattoor Ravi Varma's Anugraham are among Lalitha's films from the 1970s.

Bharathan, her future husband, made his acting debut in Prayanam in 1975. In 1978, Lalitha made her acting debut in Bharathan's Rathinirvedam, a controversial film at the time for its candid depiction of a teen's sexual awakening.

In 1978, they tied the knot. From the late 1970s until his death, Lalitha starred in numerous of Bharathan's films, including Aaravam, Marmaram, Nidra, Ormakayyi, Ente Upasana, Kattathe Kilikkoodu, Chilambu, Venkalam, Neela Kurinji Poothappol, and Amaram.

Lalitha was a busy performer throughout her career, and in later years, she even starred in reality shows on television. Lalitha contributed her voice to a female character who is never seen in the film and is only heard through a voiceover in Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Mathilukal (1990).

Priyadarshan's Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu (1988), Sibi Malayil's His Highness Abdullah (1990), Kottayam Kunjachan (1990), and Siddique-Vietnam Lal's Colony were among her comedies (1993).

Lalitha received several awards during her career, including National Film Awards for her parts in Amaram in 1991 and Jayaraj's Shantham in 2001. Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Pinneyum (2016), Kamal's Aami (2018), Sathyan Anthikad's Njan Prakashan (2018), Martin Prakkat's Charlie (2015), and Rojin Thomas' Home (2021) were among her most recent projects.