Maheshwari Amma, better known by her stage name K. P. A. C. Lalitha, was an Indian film and stage actress who worked primarily in Malyalam. She started her acting career with K. P. A. C., a theatre collective in

Kayamkulam Kayamkulam is a town and municipality in the ''Onattukara'' region of Alappuzha district in Kerala. It is the second biggest town in Alappuzha district. It is located on the western coast of India, and was an ancient maritime trading center. O ...

, Kerala. In a career spanning five decades, she starred in over 550 films. 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 The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates t ...

at the 2009 Filmfare Awards South. Lalitha latterly served as the chairperson of

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy is located in Thrissur city, of Kerala, in India. It was established on 26 April 1958, inaugurated by then Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The academy started a cultural centre at the Bahrain Ker ...

. She was married to the late Malayalam filmmaker Bharathan.

Early life

Lalitha was born as Maheshwari Amma in a Malayalam speaking family at

. She was born to Kadaykatharayil Veettil K. Ananthan Nair and Bhargavi Amma, as the eldest among five children; her four siblings were Indira, Babu, Rajan and Shyamala. She is the child born 5 years after her Parent's marriage. Her father was a photographer who was from Kayamkulam and mother was a housewife who was from Aranmula. She was her Father's pet while her Mother was very strict. She spent most of her childhood at Ramapuram near

. Her family migrated to Changanassery, Kottayam for her to join dance class. In a young age itself she had very much interest in dance. 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. Her first appearance on stage was in the play ''Geethayude Bali''. She later joined K.P.A.C. (

Kerala People's Arts Club Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC) is a theatrical movement in Kayamkulam, Kerala, India. It was formed in the 1950s by a group of individuals having close ties with Communist Party of India in Kerala. KPAC was very influential in popularising ...

), which was a prominent leftist drama troupe in Kerala. She was given the screen-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.

Acting career

Her first movie was the film adaptation of ''Koottukudumbam'' directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. In 1978 she married Bharathan, a noted Malayalam film director. She took a break from film acting for sometime, doing only a few films. The second era of her career started with ''

Kattathe Kilikkoodu ''Kattathe Kilikkoodu'' () is a 1983 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Bharathan and written by T. Damodaran from a story by Nedumudi Venu. The film was produced by P. V. Gangadharan and stars Bharat Gopy, Mohanlal, Srividya, Rev ...

'' (1983) directed by her husband. Her pairing with

Innocent Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. In other contexts, it is a lack of experience. In relation ...

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 Mathan and Sons, Pavam Pavam Rajakumaram. During this time, she did many critically acclaimed roles including those in ''

Kattukuthira ''Kattukuthira'' () is a 1990 Malayalam-language drama film directed by P. G. Viswambharan and scripted by S. L. Puram, based on his classic play of the same name. The film stars Thilakan as the cantankerous Kochuvava along with Vineeth, Anju ...

'' (1990), ''Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam'' (1986), ''Ponn Muttyidunna Tharavu'' (1988), Kottayam Kunjachan (1990), ''

Vadakkunokkiyantram ''Vadakkunokkiyantram'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language black comedy film written and directed by Sreenivasan who also stars in the film along with Parvathy. The film is about the marital discord caused by a husband's othello syndrome. T ...

'' (1989), ''

Innathe Program ''Innathe Program'' is a 1991 Indian Malayalam film, directed by P. G. Vishwambharan and produced by Changanassery Basheer. The film stars Mukesh, Siddique, Radha (in her final Malayalam film to date), A. C. Zainuddin and Philomina in the le ...

'' (1991), ''Dasharatham'' (1989),

Kanalkkattu ''Kanalkkattu'' is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Sathyan Anthikad and written by Lohithadas. It stars Mammootty, Murali, Mamukkoya, Jayaram, Urvashi, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Shari, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Mohan Raj and Innocent. ...

(1991),''Venkalam'' (1993), '' Godfather'' (1991), '' Amaram'' (1991), ''Vietnam Colony'' (1993), ''

Pavithram ''Pavithram'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar and written by P. Balachandran from a story by Balachandran and Kumar. The film stars Mohanlal and Shobana in lead roles. Vinduja Menon, Thilakan, S ...

'' (1993), ''

Manichitrathazhu ''Manichitrathazhu'' () is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language epic psychological horror film directed by Fazil, written by Madhu Muttam, and produced by Swargachitra Appachan. The film stars Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobana with Nedumudi Venu ...

'' (1994), ''

Spadikam ''Spadikam'' () is a 1995 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film written and directed by Bhadran and produced by R. Mohan through Shogun Films. Dialogues were written by Rajendra Babu. The film stars Mohanlal and Thilakan with Urvashi, ...

'' (1995), and '' Aniyathipraavu'' (1997). She won the

National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress is an honour presented annually at India's National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), an organisation set up by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcast ...

for her performance in '' Amaram'' (1991), a film directed by her husband Bharathan. 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 Sathyan Anthikad is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and lyricist who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. In a career spanning five decades he has directed more than 50 films, been the lyricist for 12 films and been the scriptwriter f ...

directed ''Veendum Chila Veetukaryangal'' (1999). K.P.A.C. Lalitha's notable roles after that were in ''

Shantham ''Shantham'' ( en, Calmness, italic=yes) is a Malayalam feature film directed by Jayaraj. It stars I M Vijayan, a leading Indian football player of modern times, M G Shashi, Seema Biswas and K P A C Lalitha. The renowned Kathakali artiste Ka ...

'' (2000), ''Life Is Beautiful'' (2000) and ''Valkannadi'' (2002). She won her second

for her role in ''Shantham'' (2000), directed by

Jayaraj Jayarajan Rajasekharan Nair, professionally credited as Jayaraj, is an Indian filmmaker, who predominantly works in Malayalam film industry. He has won many awards, including Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Golden ...

. 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 ''Kadhalukku Mariyadhai'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film directed by Fazil. It is the Tamil remake of Fazil's own Malayalam film ''Aniyathipraavu'' (1997). The film stars Vijay and Shalini (reprising her rol ...

'' (1997), Maniratnam's ''

Alai Payuthey ''Alai Payuthey'' ( ) is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written, co-produced and directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Madhavan (in his Tamil debut) and Shalini. The film explores the tensions of married life between two young p ...

'' (2000) and ''

Kaatru Veliyidai ''Kaatru Veliyidai'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language romantic war film, produced, written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Made under the Madras Talkies banner, it features music composed by A. R. Rahman, cinematography by Ravi Varman and editi ...

'' (2017). Particularly, her performance in Tamil film ''

'' as Shalini's mother won her critical acclaim.

Personal life and death

Lalitha has 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. She published an autobiography, titled ''Katha Thudarum'' (''Story To Be Continued''), which won the

Cherukad Award Cherukad Award is an annual award given for literary works in Malayalam. The award was instituted in 1978 by Cherukad Smaraka Trust at Perinthalmanna, Kerala, India. It is named after Malayalam playwright, poet, novelist, and political activist ...

in 2013. Lalitha died in

Thrippunithura Thrippunithura or Tripunithura (), is a prominent historical and residential region in the City of Kochi in Kerala, India. Located about 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre, Tripunithura was the capital of the erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin ...

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

Filmography

Awards

; National Film Awards * 1990: Best Supporting Actress – '' Amaram'' * 2000: Best Supporting Actress – ''

'' ; Kerala State Film Awards * 1975: Second Best Actress – ''

Neela Ponman ''Neelapponmaan'' is a 1975 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed and produced by Kunchacko. The film stars Prem Nazir, KPAC Lalitha, Adoor Bhasi and Sreelatha Namboothiri in the lead roles. The film has musical score by Salil Chowdhary. ...

'', ''Onnum Lelle'' (1975) * 1978: Second Best Actress – ''Aaravam'' * 1990: Second Best Actress – '' Amaram'' * 1991: Second Best Actress – ''

Kadinjool Kalyanam ''Kadinjool Kalyanam'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film directed by Rajasenan and starring Jayaram, Urvashi and Innocent. The film marks the first collaboration of Rajasenan and Jayaram. The film was dubbed in Tamil as ...

'', '' Godfather'', '' Sandesam'' ;

Asianet Film Awards The Asianet Film Awards is an award ceremony for films presented annually by Asianet, a Malayalam-language television network from the south-Indian state of Kerala. Asianet says that awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artis ...

* 2000: Best Supporting Actress – ''

'' * 2007: Best Supporting Actress – ''Thaniye'', '' Nasrani'', ''

Aakasham ''Aakasham'' is a 2007 Malayalam-language film directed by Sundar Das and starring Harishree Ashokan. Summary Manoharan is hardworking mechanic leading a happy life with his wife, kids, mother and brother in law. His greatest dream is to own a ...

'' * 2011: Best Supporting Actress – ''

Snehaveedu ''Snehaveedu'' () is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikad. It was produced by Alan Richard under the company Aashirvad Cinemas. The film stars Mohanlal, Sheela, and Rahul Pillai. It was Mo ...

'' ; Filmfare Awards South * 2009:

; Other awards * 2007:

Premji Mullamangalath Parameshwaran Bhattathiripad (23 September 1908 – 10 August 1998), commonly known as M. P. Bhatathirippad or Premji, was a social reformer, cultural leader and actor from Kerala state, India. Premji joined Yogakshema Sabha a ...

Award * 2009:

Thoppil Bhasi Thoppil Bhaskara Pillai, known as Thoppil Bhasi (8 April 1924 – 8 December 1992) was an Indian Malayalam-language playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He was associated with the communist movement in Kerala and his play ''Ningalenne C ...

Prathibha Award * 2009: Annual Malayalam Movie Award (Dubai) for Best Outstanding Performances * 2010: Bharat Murali Award * 2011:

Bahadoor Padiyath Kochumoideen Kunjalu (1930 22 May 2000), known by his stage name Bahadoor, was an Indian actor and comedian who, along with Adoor Bhasi, redefined the way in which comedy and funny scenes were perceived in the Malayalam cinema. They ...

Award * 2011: Kambisseri Karunakaran Award *2012:

Prathibha Award *2013: MT Chandrasenan Award * 2013: Cherukad Award for Literature for Autobiography "Katha Thudarum" (Writer) * 2014: Kalaratna Fellowship by

* 2014: Sangam Lifetime Achievement Award * 2014:Vanithalokam Award * 2015: Part-Ono Films- ''Samaadharanam''-'Prashasthipathram' * 2015:

SIIMA Lifetime Achievement Award SIIMA Lifetime Achievement Award is an award presented by Vibri media group as part of its annual South Indian International Movie Awards for the person who contributed much to the film industry. It was instituted in 2012, with Ambareesh ...

* 2015: Vanitha Film Award – Lifetime Achievement * 2015:TCR Bharath P.J.Antony Smaraka Abhinaya Prathibha Award * 2015:IIFA Awards IIFA Utsavam - Performance in a Supporting Role (Female) - Nominated * 2016: Parabrahma Chaithanya Award * PK Rosy Award * Devarajan Master Award * Good Knight Film and Business Awards 2017

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lalitha, K.P.A.C. 2022 deaths 20th-century Indian actresses 21st-century Indian actresses Best Supporting Actress National Film Award winners Kerala State Film Award winners People from Aranmula Indian television actresses Actresses from Kerala Indian film actresses Filmfare Awards South winners Actresses in Malayalam cinema Actresses in Tamil cinema Actresses from Thrissur Indian voice actresses Actresses in Malayalam television Indian stage actresses Actresses in Malayalam theatre Indian actresses South Indian International Movie Awards winners 1947 births