Malayalam Actress KPAC Lalitha Passes Away; Pinarayi Vijayan, Mammootty, Others Pay Tribute

Legendary Malayalam actor KPAC Lalitha passed away at Kochi on Thursday night. Though the 74-year national award-winning actress was hospitalised recently due to ill-health, she was brought back to her son director-actor Siddharth’s house at Thripunithura near Kochi where she breathed her last. She was the Chairperson of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademy.

Spanning a career of more than 500 films as an actress, she won the national film award for best-supporting actor twice (1990- Amaram and 2000-Shantham) besides securing four Kerala state awards. She bagged her first state award in 1975 for ‘Neelaponman’ followed by ‘Aaravam’ (1978), ‘Amaram’ (1990) and for three films ‘Kadinjool Kalyanam’, ‘Godfather’ and ‘Sandesham’ (1991).

Apart from the award-winning movies, the performances in movies including Manichitrathazhu, Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, Ponn Muttyidunna Tharavu, Kanal Kaattu, Madampi, Kottayam Kunjachan, Kanmadam, Dasharatham,Venkalam, Sphadikam and Aniyathiprav in Malayalam and Alaipayuthe and Kadhalukk Mariyadhai in Tamil were considered outstanding by critics as well as moviegoers. Her role in auteur Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s film Mathilukal as the female lead opposite Mammootty was made a unique one with her presence in her voice only.

Her pairing with Innocent was hugely popular with the audience for nearly 25 years between 1985 and 2010 with successful films like Gajakesariyogam, Apoorvam Chilar, Makkal Mahatmyam, Sasneham, Shubha Yatra, My Dear Muthachan, Kallanum Polisum, Arjunan Pillaiyum Anju Makkalum, Injankaddan Mathan and Sons and Pappi Appacha.

Born on February 25, 1947, at Ramapuram near Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district, Lalitha was a theatre artist before entering films and went on to become an inevitable part of Malayalam cinema. She started taking dance lessons at a young age and participated in youth festivals. Her schooling was disrupted in the seventh standard after she enrolled in Indian Dance Academy led by Kalamandalam Ramachandran.

She was Maheshwariamma till she joined as a singer at the age of 16, at Kerala People’s Arts Club, a theatre collective by the Communist fellow travellers popularly known as KPAC, based in Kayamakulam.

She crooned for the plays ‘Mooladhanam’ and ‘Ningal Enne Communistakki’. Then she started acting in the popular plays ‘Swayamvaram’, ‘Anubhavangal Paalichakal’, ‘Koottukudumbam’, ‘Sharashayya’, and ‘Thulabharam, which transformed the socio-political arena of the state. She was christened ‘Lalitha’ by her mentor and popular dramatist Thoppil Bhasi when she was in KPAC and then came to be known as KPAC Lalitha.

Lalitha marked her entry to movies with ‘Kootukudumbam’ produced by Udaya Studios in 1969, the movie adaptation of a play by the same name, where she played a role. Thus commenced her life in the tinsel world and in 1978, she married iconic director Bharathan.

In later years, she became busy in television serials.

Soon after the news broke, Vijayan in his message said that the Malayalam film industry has lost an actress who acted with many generations of actors, created her own space, and made a mark which will always be etched in the minds of all.

Several celebrities took to Twitter to offer condolences and express their shock. Actress Keerthy Suresh wrote, “Extremely saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary KPAC Lalitha aunty. My heartfelt condolences to the family.”

Rang De Basanti actor Siddharth wrote, “KPAC Lalitha was a legendary presence in Malayalam cinema for more than 5 decades. 500+ films, 2 national awards, 4 state awards – but the impact she will continue to have on our art and culture is immeasurable.”

Superstar Mammootty wrote in Malayali, “I have lost someone I cherish so much, respectfully with memories that will never leave.”

She leaves her daughter Sreekutty and son actor-director Sidharth Bharathan.

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