Renowned Malayalam actor KPAC Lalitha dies at 74

Noted Malayalam actor Maheshwari Amma, popularly known as KPAC Lalitha, passed away late on Tuesday at her residence in Tripunithura near Kochi. She was 74.

Lalitha is survived by her actor-director son Sidharth Bharathan and daughter Sreekutty. She was married to the legendary Malayalam film director late Bharathan.

Lalitha had been bedridden for the past few months.

Known for her versatility in playing a wide range of characters, Lalitha began her acting career as a theatre artist with KPAC (Kerala People’s Arts Club), a theatre collective in Kerala, five decades ago.

Lalitha forayed into the movie industry in 1969 with Koottukudumbam directed by K S Sethumadhavan.

Lalitha took a break from acting for some time in the late 1970s, but returned in 1983 with Kattathe Kilikkoodu, directed by Bharathan.

Condoling Lalitha’s demise, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that she could make her way into hearts of different generations with her acting skills.

Veteran actor Mammootty paid condolences to Lalitha in a post in Malayalam on Twitter, “I have lost someone dear to me. With a lot of everlasting memories, I condole her death.”

Filmmaker-actor Revathy said in a post on Instagram, “Lalitha Chechi – Thank you Chechi for the abundance of performances… you will live on for generations through them all. May your soul rest in peace.”

Lalitha was a recipient of two National Film Awards, she won the awards for her performances in the film Amaram in 1999 and and Shantham in 2000. She had also received four Kerala State Film Awards.

In a career spanning over five decades, Lalitha featured in over 550 Malayalam and Tamil films.

Lalitha was also the chairperson of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi.

(With inputs from Agencies)