Legendary Malayalam Actor KPAC Lalitha No More

Veteran Malayalam film actor and thespian KPAC Lalitha passed away in Kochi on February 22. The actor's real name was Maheshwari Amma but she was known popularly by her stage name which was KPAC Lalitha. She has starred in more than 500 films, mostly in the Malayalam language. She was 73-years-old.

Lalitha had not been keeping well for a long time now. In December 2021, she was admitted to a hospital as she was suffering from liver-related ailments. Later, she was brought back to her son Siddharth's house at Kochi, where she breathed her last.

The cremation is reportedly going to be held at her residence at Wadakkancherry later today. The public will be allowed to pay homage to the veteran actor at her house in Trippunithura today morning and then later at Thrissur in Kerala.

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KPAC Lalitha Passes Away

Born on February 25, 1947, at Ramapuram, near Kayamkulam in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, she was given the name Maheshwari Amma. She was born to Bhargavi Amma and father K Ananthan Nair, who was a photographer.

At a young age, she started taking lessons in dance and participated in festivals. Her schooling was disrupted after she enrolled in the Indian Dance Academy by Kalamandalam Ramachandran. She began her career with the Kerala People's Arts Club, which was a theatre group in Alappuzha and entered the film industry in the year 1969. Her debut film was Koothukudumbam by KS Sethu Madhavan.

She did an array of roles throughout the 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s. Known for her comic timing and has played the roles of mother, sister, sister-in-law and daughter in various family dramas.

Her most popular films are Kodiyettam, Vietnam Colony, Aniyathipravu, Sanmanassulavarku Samadhanam, amongst many others.

Although it is reported that initially she began her career as a singer and sang for plays like Mooladhanam, she started acting in the plays later on and there was no looking back.

The name Lalitha was given to her by Thoppil Bhasi, who was a playwriter, screenwriter and film director. She married a noted film director Bharathan, who passed away in 1998. The Onmanorama reported that she leaves behind her son Siddharth Bharathan, who is an actor and director, and daughter Sreekutty.

Picture Credit: Onmanorama