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K. P. A. C. Lalitha

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Maheshwari Amma, better known by her stage name K. P. A. C. Lalitha (10 March 1947 – 22 February 2022), was an Indian film and stage actress who worked primarily in the Malayalam film industry. She started her acting career with Kerala People's Arts Club, a theatre collective in Kayamkulam, Kerala. In a career spanning five decades, she starred in over 550 films.

K. P. A. C. Lalitha
Lalitha at Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award night in Kollam (2019)
Born
Maheshwari Amma

(1947-03-10)10 March 1947
Kayamkulam,[1][2] Kingdom of Travancore
Died22 February 2022(2022-02-22) (aged 74)
Thrippunithura, Kochi, Kerala, India
OccupationActress
Years active1968–2022
WorksFull list
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1978; died 1998)​
Children2; including Sidharth Bharathan
AwardsNational Film Awards (1990, 2000)

Lalitha won two National Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress along with four Kerala State Film Awards. In 2009, she was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Filmfare Awards South. Lalitha latterly served as the chairperson of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. She was married to the late Malayalam filmmaker Bharathan.

Early life

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Lalitha was born as Maheshwari Amma at Aranmula,[1][2] in present day Pathanamthitta District, on 10 March 1947.[3][4][5] She was born to Kadaykatharayil Veettil Ananthan Nair and Bhargavi Amma,[6] as the eldest among five children; her four siblings were Indira, Babu, Rajan and Shyamala. She is the child born five years after her parents' marriage. Her father was a photographer who was from Kayamkulam and mother was a housewife who was from Aranmula. She spent most of her childhood at Ramapuram near Kayamkulam.

Her family migrated to Changanassery, Kottayam for her to join dance class. In a young age itself she had very much interest in dance.[7] She learned to dance when she was a child under the guidance of Chellappan Pillai and then under Kalamandalam Gangadharan. She started acting in plays when she was 10 years old.[8] Her first appearance on stage was in the play Geethayude Bali. She later joined Kerala People's Arts Club (K. P. A. C.), which was a prominent leftist drama troupe in Kerala. She was given the stage name Lalitha and later, when she started acting in movies, the tag K.P.A.C. was added to her screen-name to differentiate it from another actress known as Lalitha.[9]

Acting career

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Her first movie was the film adaptation of Koottukudumbam directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. In 1978 she married Bharathan, a noted Malayalam film director.[10] She took a break from film acting for sometime, doing only a few films.[6]

The second era of her career started with Kattathe Kilikkoodu (1983) directed by her husband. Her pairing with Innocent was hugely popular with the audience between 1986 and 2006 with successful films like Gajakesariyogam, Apporvam Chillar, Makkal Mahatmiyam, Shubha Yatra, My Dear Muthachan, Kannanum Polisum, Arjunan Pillaiyum Anju Makkalum, Injankaddai Mathai and Sons, Pavam Pavam Rajakumaram. During this time, she did many critically acclaimed roles including those in Kattukuthira (1990), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Ponn Muttyidunna Tharavu (1988), Kottayam Kunjachan (1990), Vadakkunokkiyantram (1989), Innathe Program (1991), Dasharatham (1989), Kanalkkattu (1991),Venkalam (1993), Godfather (1991), Amaram (1991), Vietnam Colony (1993), Pavithram (1993), Manichitrathazhu (1994), Spadikam (1995), and Aniyathipraavu (1997). She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Amaram (1991), a film directed by her husband Bharathan.[11][12]

In 1998, when her husband Bharathan died, she took a break for a few months, only to come back with an acclaimed performance in Sathyan Anthikkad directed Veendum Chila Veetukaryangal (1999). K.P.A.C. Lalitha's notable roles after that were in Shantham (2000), Life Is Beautiful (2000) and Valkannadi (2002). She won her second National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Shantham (2000), directed by Jayaraj.[6]

K.P.A.C. Lalitha acted in over 500 films in Malayalam cinema. Apart from Malayalam, she acted in some Tamil films including Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), Maniratnam's Alai Payuthey (2000) and Kaatru Veliyidai (2017). Particularly, her performance in Tamil film Kadhalukku Mariyadhai as Shalini's mother won her critical acclaim.[6][13][14]

Personal life and death

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Lalitha had a daughter Sreekutty and a son Sidharth who debuted as an actor in the movie Nammal, which was directed by Kamal. After a short career in acting, he chose a career in film direction. In 2012, he made his directorial debut with Nidra, which is the remake of 1984 film with the same title written and directed by his father Bharathan.[15]

She published an autobiography, titled Katha Thudarum (Story To Be Continued), which won the Cherukad Award in 2013.[16]

Lalitha died in Thrippunithura on 22 February 2022, at the age of 74.[4][5] She had been hospitalised since November 2021 due to multiple health issues, including liver ailment and diabetes.[17] Her mortal remains was taken to her home in Wadakkancherry, and was cremated with full state honours.

Filmography

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Main article: K. P. A. C. Lalitha filmography

Awards

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National Film Awards
Kerala State Film Awards
Asianet Film Awards
Filmfare Awards South
Other awards

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "It was EMS who first called the actor 'Comrade Lalitha'". 23 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b "KERALA".
  3. ^ "Did you know KPAC Lalitha's real name is Maheshwari Amma?". The Times of India. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b "കെ.പി.എ.സി ലളിത അന്തരിച്ചു" [Salutations to KPAC Lalitha; The funeral will take place at 5 pm at her house in Wadakkanchery] (in Malayalam). Mathrubhumi. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b ലേഖകൻ, മാധ്യമം. "കെ.പി.എ.സി ലളിത അന്തരിച്ചു" [KPAC Lalitha passes away]. Madhyamam (in Malayalam). Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d "LALITHA. (K.P.A.C.)". Association of Malayalam Movie Artists. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  7. ^ asianetnews (31 May 2012). ""KPAC Lalitha"-On Record 31, May 2012 Part 1". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ [1] Archived 7 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Staff Reporter (22 March 2016). "KPAC Lalitha opts out". The Hindu.
  10. ^ "KPAC Lalitha – Malayalam celebrities the stories and the gossips". Movies.deepthi.com. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  11. ^ "KPAC Lalitha draws flak". Deccan Chronicle. 16 October 2018.
  12. ^ "ITFOK". theatrefestivalkerala.com. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  13. ^ "5 memorable Tamil films that KPAC Lalitha was part of". The Times of India. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Kadhaluku Mariyadhai actress KPAC Lalitha passed away". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Sidharth Bharathan blessed with a baby girl: Here's the picture of the newborn". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Cherukad Award for KPSC Lalitha". Dcbooks.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  17. ^ "KPAC Lalitha's mortal remains consigned to flames". OnManorama. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  19. ^ "Annual Malayalam Movie Awards(AMMA) Announced". Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  20. ^ "കെ.പി.എ.സി ലളിതയ്ക്ക് ബഹദൂര്‍ പുരസ്‌കാരം". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  21. ^ "KPAC Lalitha Bags Kambiserry Karunakaran Award". Moovyshoovy.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  22. ^ "കേരള സംഗീത നാടക അക്കാദമി കലാരത്‌ന ബഹുമതികള്‍ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു". Siraj Daily (in Malayalam). 1 January 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
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