KPAC Lalitha once joked that she became an actor because she stopped her studies in the seventh standard. But she probably wasn't aware that to generations of actors KPAC Lalitha was a university of acting excellence.
"When my father used to work as a photographer at Ravi Studios in Perunna there was a drama troupe on the first floor, Changanassery Geetha. Whenever I carried lunch for my father I used to sneak in and watch rehearsals," Lalitha once said.
One day the owner of the troupe, Chachappan asked Lalitha's father if his daughter would be interested in acting. "But father said, no."
But Lalitha insisted and her father agreed to let her perform in a dance. The play was called 'Bali'.
Lalitha shoulders responsibilities
Meanwhile, her father had started a studio. He named it Lalitha Studio. One day inside the darkroom, he collapsed and the doctors advised him to not continue in the profession. Thus the family was in a crisis and Lalitha knew she had to take charge.
"Those days my dream was to become an actor in KPAC. I was called for an interview and later KPAC Sulochana chechi told me that a few people liked me, but a few others didn't. They complained that I was too skinny. If a skinny girl acted alongside KP Ummar it won't look good they said," she said chuckling. "Go get fat, they said."
Back then the financial situation at her home hadn't improved and here she was, desperate to gain some weight but also find employment. Lalitha's search landed her at the troupe of Bahadur in Kozhikode. "I was given an advance. But as soon as I reached home, KPAC called me. Soon I returned Bahadurikka's money and joined KPAC," she recollected.
She went on to be part of a number of plays, though initially, her involvement was as a singer. "I used to mess up my singing. But Thoppil Bhasi retained me and gave me a role. He changed my name from B Maheshwari Amma to KPAC Lalitha."
It was while acting in 'Kootukudumbam' that movies caught her attention. "I and Leela were crazy about movies. Thoppil Bhasi chettan used to scold us saying 'Why are you always after cinemas? Doesn't KPAC have enough plays?'"
Those days KPAC plays were adapted to movies; Thulabharam, Aswamedham, etc. Udaya Studios were planning to make a movie out of 'Kootukudumbam', but Lalitha who had played 'Saraswathi' in it had no hope.
"One day, we were invited to perform at Udaya Studios for its staff and the family of Chackochan (Kunchako). Four-five days later I received a letter in a Udaya envelope. I was overjoyed. I couldn't have dreamt. There was a Rs 1,000 reward inside. It was a huge sum back then."
Lalitha had said once that she had never seen a movie camera, yet Sethumadhavan invited her to act in 'Kootukudumbam'. "I was in the first shot. That movie was a hit," Lalitha said with a smile.
Udaya's Chackochan said, 'she was in the first frame. We got the award because of her' and thus for many years, for a number of movies produced by the popular studio, the first shots were focused on KPAC Lalitha's face. That was but, just a beginning.
