KPAC Lalitha passes away: Rare pictures of the iconic actress of Malayalam movie industry

Renowned Malayalam film and stage actor KPAC Lalitha passed away at the age of 74 on February 22, 2022 at a hospital in Kerala's Kochi. She has won two National Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress along with four Kerala State Film Awards. She got the national award for the character in 'Amaram' in 1999 and for 'Shantham' in 2000. In a career spanning five decades, she has starred in over 550 films in Malayalam and Tamil. She has held the position of the Chairperson of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy for five years. Born as Maheswari Amma in Kayamkulam of Alappuzha, the actress joined K.P.A.C (Kerala People's Arts Club), a prominent drama troupe in Kerala. She was then given the screen-name Lalitha and later when she started acting in movies, the tag K.P.A.C was added to her name. She was married to the late Malayalam filmmaker Bharathan. Lalitha is survived by her actor-director son Sidharth Bharathan and daughter Sreekutty.

In This Pic : KPAC Lalitha, Bharathan

Pic Courtesy : BCCL

The young Maheshwari (real name: Maheshwari Amma) showed her acting prowess through the drama competitions at the inter-school level.

In This Pic : kpac lalitha

The started her acting career with KPAC, a theatre collective in Kayamkulam, Kerala. This photo was taken during a stage rehearsal in 1969.

In This Pic : KPAC Lalitha

Here's a lovely family picture of KPAC Lalitha with husband and her little children.

In This Pic : KPAC Lalitha

In 1978 KPAC Lalitha married one of the most prominent filmmakers in the Indian film industry, Bharathan.

In This Pic : kpac lalitha

Pic Courtesy : BCCL