K.P.A.C Lalitha is a highly acclaimed versatile actress of Malayalam Cinema who usually plays supportive and character roles.She has acted as female lead of some earlier films also.She is recipient of National award as Best Supporting actress twice.She has been in the Malayalam film field for more than 45 years.Bharathan, who was one of the excellent film directors of Malayalam cinema was her husband.
KPAC Lalitha was born as ‘Maheswari Amma’ at Ramapuram near Kayamkulam in Alapuzha district to parents Ananthan Nair and Bhargavi Amma in the year 1947.During her childhood she was given classical dance training by Guru Kalamandalam Gangadharan.She started to acto in stage plays from the age of ten and later joined the prestigious professional drama troupe KPAC and they changed her name as ‘Lalitha’ and when joined films she accepted the screen name as KPAC Lalitha.
She acted in the Malayalam film ‘koottukudumbam‘ directed by K.S.Sethumadhavan as her debut film and acted in some other films afterwards during the following years.She got familiar to all the audience by acting in the role as ‘Parvathy’ in the super hit film ‘Anubhavangal Palichakal’ in 1971.The song scene of her character Parvathi singing the song ‘Kalyani Kalavani Chollammini Chollu’ also was liked by the audience.She was cast in important roles there after.
She was the heroine opposite Prem Nazir in the film ‘Chakravalam‘.She was the female lead as ‘Santhamma’ opposite Bharat Gopi in the film ‘Kodiyettam‘ directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan in 1977.
In the film ‘Aaravam‘ directed by Bharathan, Nedumudi Venu,Pratap Pothen,KPAC Lalitha,Ouseppachan Kottayam Santha etc acted.
In the film ‘Rathi Nirvedam‘ directed by Bharathan in 78 she had a well noted role and also in the film ‘Kattathe Kilikoodu‘ as the character ‘Indiara Thampi’.
In the film ‘T.P.Balagopalan M.A.’ she acted as the elder sister of Mohan Lal (Balagoplalan) and wife of Kuthiravattam Pappu.In the film she was draining Mohan Lal’s pocket for their expenses and saving their own money.
In the film ‘Sanmanasullavarkku Samadhanam’ she acted as a nice woman (Karthyayani Amma) and mother of Karthika and two other children.They were living in the rented house which was owned by Mohanlal.This comedy film was a big hit.
In the film ‘Gandhinagar 2nd Street’ in which Mohan Lal and Karthika were the leads, KPAC Lalitha acted as the wife of Sankarady and the daughter of two young girls.Sankarady acted as a Novelist in this film created much comedy scenes.
In the ht film ‘Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu‘ she acted as the wife of R.V.Panicker(Innocent) and mother of Snehalatha(Urvashy).
In the super hit film ‘Vadakkunokki Yanthram’ she acted as the mother of the hero character ‘Thalathil Dinesan (Sreenivasan).
In the film ‘Gajakesari Yogam’ directed by P.G.Viswambharan, she was wife of Innocent and mother of heroine Sunitha.The Hindi learning of Innocent and Lalitha created nice comedy in this film.
In the film ‘Akkare Akkare Akkare’ directed by Priyadarshan she was wife of Sivadasa Menon (Nedumudi Venu).Mohan Lal and Sreenivasan approaching her for clothes to wash was an unforgettable comedy scene.
In the film ‘Kottayam Kunjachan’ in which Mammootty was the hero and Ranjini,Innocent,Usha,Kunchan etc acted she was wife of Innocent’s character Michael.Kunchan coming to the house with a marriage proposal was an unforgettable scene.
In the super hit film ‘God Father‘ she acted as the wife of ‘Swaminathan'(Innocent) who married Kochammini (KPAC Lalitha) without the knowledge of his strict father(N.N.Pillai).
with her son Sidharth Bharathan |
In th super hit film ‘Amaram’ directed by Bharathan, she portrayed the role as Bhargavi who was the mother of Raghavan (Asokan) and as the wife of Murali.For her excellent acting in this film she received National award for Best Supporting actress.
In the film ‘Vietnam Colony’ she played the mother’s role of the heroine ‘Kanaka’.
When Mohan Lal and Innocent were in search of a rented house and came to her house by mistake she thought they came for a marriage proposal for her daughter.But when realized the truth she allowed them to stay upstairs which causes a string of comedy scenes in the film.
In the film ‘CID Unnikrishnan B.A,B.Ed, she played the mother of Unnikrishnan(Jayaram) and wife of Oduvil Unnikrishnan.
In the film ‘Shantam‘ directed by Jayaraj in which Seema Biswas,I.M.Vijayan,Kalamandalam Gopi etc acted along with her, and she receivedNational Award as the Best supporting actress.
In the film ‘Mathilukal‘ directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, her character ‘Narayani’ doen not have a visual scene but her presence is manifested by dialogues only which she performed effectively well.
She has earned reputation as a dubbing artist and has given voice for Sarada in films like ‘Udayam,Thara,Bhadradeepam’ etc, for Nanditha Bose in films like ‘Dharmayudham’ for Vijayasree in the film ‘Padmavyuham’ and for Surekha in the film ‘Thakara’
She has acted in many T.V.Serials also
Apart from two National award she is recipient of Kerala State Second Best Actress Award four times, in the years.1975,78,1990 and 1991.
She received Asianet Best Supporting actress award three times.
She is recipient of ‘Kalaratna Fellowship’ by Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy.
She has also received several other awards like ‘Premji Award,Thoppil Bhasi Pratibha Award’ etc.
Selected Filmography
Anubhavangal Palichakal
Swayamvaram
Oru Sundariyude Katha
Neelaponman
Kodiyettam
Rathinirvedam
Chaatta
Marmaram
Aaravam
Kattathe Kilikoodu
T.P.Balagopalam M.A
Sanmanasullavarkku Samadhanam
Gasndhinagar 2nd Street
Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu
Mukundetta Sumithra Vilikkunnu
Varavelpu
Vadakkunokkiyanthram
Peruvannapurathe Viseshangal
Dasaratham
Thalayinamanthram
Gajakesari Yogam
Akkare Akkare Akkare
Kottayam Kunjachan
Keli
God Father
Amaram
Malootty
Vietnam Colony
Venkalam
Manichitrathazhu
Vadhu Doctoranu
Thenmavin Kombathu
Cid Unnikrishnan
Avittam Thirunal Arogya Sreeman
The King
Swapnalokathe Balabhasker
Kalyana Kacheri
Vismayam
Kanmadam
Swayamvara Pandal
Life is Beautiful
Uthaman
Thilakkam
Natturajavu
Kangaroo
Loudspeaker
April Fool
Pramani
Plus Two
Best Actor
Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty
Aamayum Muyalum
Loham