Maheshwari Amma (born 1947), better known by her stage name K. P. A.
C. Lalitha, is an Indian film and stage actress who works primarily in
Malayalam theatre and Malayalam cinema. Her acting career starts with
K. P. A. C. Kerala People's Arts Club a theatrical movement in
Kayamkulam, Kerala, India. This political theatre was very influential
in propagating communist ideas in Kerala.In a career spanning five
decades, she has starred in over 550 films. She is the current
chairperson of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. She was married to the
late Malayalam filmmaker Bharathan.K. P. A. C. Lalitha was born as
eldest among five children as Maheshwari Amma in 1947 in Aranmula,
Pathanamthitta, Kerala to Kadaykatharayil Veettil K. Ananthan Nair and
Bhargavi Amma. She has four siblings: Indira, Babu, Rajan and
Shyamala. 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, Alappuzha. Her family migrated
to Changanassery, Kotttayam for her to join dance class. 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), 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.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.[citation needed]. Now
Sidharth Bharathan is scaling to heights with movies; Chandrettan
Evideya and Varnyathil Aashanka running well. Lalitha published an
autobiography, titled Katha Thudarum (Story To Be Continued), which
won the Cherukad Award in 2013. 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 in recent
years 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. She
still appears in films. K.P.A.C. Lalitha has acted in over 500 films
in Malayalam cinema. Apart from Malayalam, she has acted in some Tamil
films including Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), Maniratnam's
Alaipayuthey (2000) and Kaatru Veliyidai (2017). Particularly, her
performance in Tamil film Kadhalukku Mariyadhai as Shalini's mother
won her critical acclaim.
C. Lalitha, is an Indian film and stage actress who works primarily in
Malayalam theatre and Malayalam cinema. Her acting career starts with
K. P. A. C. Kerala People's Arts Club a theatrical movement in
Kayamkulam, Kerala, India. This political theatre was very influential
in propagating communist ideas in Kerala.In a career spanning five
decades, she has starred in over 550 films. She is the current
chairperson of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. She was married to the
late Malayalam filmmaker Bharathan.K. P. A. C. Lalitha was born as
eldest among five children as Maheshwari Amma in 1947 in Aranmula,
Pathanamthitta, Kerala to Kadaykatharayil Veettil K. Ananthan Nair and
Bhargavi Amma. She has four siblings: Indira, Babu, Rajan and
Shyamala. 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, Alappuzha. Her family migrated
to Changanassery, Kotttayam for her to join dance class. 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), 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.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.[citation needed]. Now
Sidharth Bharathan is scaling to heights with movies; Chandrettan
Evideya and Varnyathil Aashanka running well. Lalitha published an
autobiography, titled Katha Thudarum (Story To Be Continued), which
won the Cherukad Award in 2013. 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 in recent
years 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. She
still appears in films. K.P.A.C. Lalitha has acted in over 500 films
in Malayalam cinema. Apart from Malayalam, she has acted in some Tamil
films including Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), Maniratnam's
Alaipayuthey (2000) and Kaatru Veliyidai (2017). Particularly, her
performance in Tamil film Kadhalukku Mariyadhai as Shalini's mother
won her critical acclaim.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.