Memories of KPAC Lalitha

 

Pics: KPAC Lalitha; The actor (fourth from left) in a scene from ‘Su.. Su... Sudhi Vathmeekam’

The Malayalam character actress KPAC Lalitha passed away on February 22, at the age of 74.

Here are some reminiscences of her by people in Mollywood. This has been culled from articles I had written earlier for the New Indian Express:

By Shevlin Sebastian

On the morning of September 13, 2015, director Ranjith Sankar was going through moments of agony. The next day was the last one of the shoot of ‘Su.. Su... Sudhi Vathmeekam’ at a house in Alathur. But a crisis had cropped up. A day earlier, Sidharth Bharatan, the son of veteran actor KPAC Lalitha, had been injured in a car accident. He was admitted to the Medical Trust Hospital in Kochi. Lalitha was now at the hospital.

The last day’s shoot consisted of an engagement scene. It was between Jayasurya’s character, Sudhi Vathmeekan, and Sshivada Nair’s Kalyani. As Jayasurya’s mother, in the film, Lalitha had to be present.

The shoot could not be extended, as Jayasurya, and the others, like Aju Varghese and Sunil Sukhada, had other commitments.

“I did not know what to do,” says Ranjith. “I could not imagine calling Lalitha Maam on the phone.”

So, Ranjith had a discussion with his team. He asked whether the shooting could be done without Lalitha's presence. “We could say that the mother was not well, and hence could not come for the ceremony,” says Ranjith. “But, somehow, we felt that the audience would not be convinced. We concluded that it would not make sense without the presence of Lalitha Maam.”

However, at night, on September 13, Ranjith got a call. It was from Lalitha. She said that she would come for the shoot the next day. “I immediately said there was no need, especially at such a moment of crisis,” says Ranjith.

But Lalitha said that Sidharth was in the intensive care unit. And she was sitting outside. “There is nothing I can do,” she said. “I know my presence is very necessary in this scene. My only request is if you can send me back soon.”

The next day, Lalitha arrived in the morning.

When Jayasurya and Ssivada put rings on each other's second finger, a poignant Lalitha said, “During Sidharth's engagement, he did the same thing.”

Ranjith was moved, as were the other actors and the crew. “No matter the tragedy that had taken place, Lalitha Maam was calm and retained her presence of mind,” he says. “For me, this is professionalism of a high standard. That is why she is a legend. And has lasted so long.”

But there were happy moments, too. During Jayasurya’s birthday celebration, on August 30, at Alathur, the crew had gathered around. Among them were Jayasurya’s wife, Saritha, and children Adwaith and Veda, as well as Ranjith’s wife Smitha, and their children Tara and Tarun. “There was a lucky dip,” says Ranjith. “And of all the prizes, the one which Lalitha Maam won was a case of beer.”

The crew had a big laugh, and shared the cans, but not before Lalitha shared a can.

“In the end, by the grace of God, everything turned out so well,” says Ranjith. “Sidharth recovered, and my film did well at the box office.”

Photographer Momi:

The shoot for the film 'Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal' (1999) took place at Ottapalam. This was soon after the death of director Bharathan, on July 30, 1998. Bharathan's wife KPAC Lalitha had a major role. But nobody was sure whether she would be able to perform.

She and Nedumudi Venu were supposed to shoot a scene together. “In real life, Bharathan and Lalitha were very close to Venu and his family,” says Momi. “Following Bharathan's passing, Lalitha had not seen Venu.”

But when Lalitha met Venu, she lost control and began crying. She did not stop for a long time. Venu tried to console her but to no avail. “The director cancelled the shoot,” says Momi. “But after a couple of days, Lalitha managed to regain her composure and resumed work.”

Actor/scriptwriter Murali Gopy:

Murali Gopy has pleasant memories of the shoot for 'Pava'. This is the short form for 'Paappanekkurichum Varkeyekkurichum'. Murali played Devassy Paappan, an 80-year-old Christian patriarch. Anoop Menon did the role of Varkeyekkurichum. But, in an interesting twist, Paappan's younger sister was played by KPAC Lalitha.

Lalitha had played the lead, with Murali's father, the legendary Bharat Gopy, in 'Kodiyettam' (1978), while in 'Ormakkayi' (1982), she acted as the sister to Gopy. “Lalitha Aunty would always tell me on-set anecdotes about my father,” says Murali. “She has so much to share about the old days.”

So, it came as no surprise that Murali had a great feeling, when he had to act, as her older brother, during the shoot, at Bharananganam, in December, 2015.

During their first shot together, Lalitha, who was wearing a chatta and mundu, delivered her line: “Paappa, don't cry.” Paappan then mumbled an indecipherable reply. After the shot had been canned, they smiled at each other, knowing that it had been a special experience.