As thespian KPAC Lalitha, the inimitable, enigmatic actor, finally bids adieu leaving an indelible mark on the Malayalam tinsel world, a letter written by her to Chithralekha Studio, managed then by Kulathur Bhaskaran Nair and Adoor Gopalakrishnan, in Thiruvananthapuram in 1978 sheds light on her early career, career trajectory, and moreover her intense aspiration to be a complete actor in the Malayalam film industry
The letter, accessed by The Hindu, was part of an application submitted to the studio in connection with her career advancement. V.S. Sabu, a Tiruvallam native in Thiruvananthapuram, had received the letter along with some communications of yesteryear actors when the studio properties were put up for auction by the Kerala Financial Corporation during the early 90’s in the wake of financial trouble.
The letter attached with a covering letter begins with a catchphrase of “KPAC Lalitha - A complete actor both on stage and screen”. The letter was in response to a communication over the phone to submit a detailed bio of her. But it was not clear whether Mr. Gopalakrishnan or Bhaskaran Nair directed her to submit the bio as she addresses the person as ‘Chettan’ in the letter.
The letter also reveals that she began her acting career at the age of eight as a child artiste in the play titled 1957. She also states that she had undergone dance training under the tutelage of Kalamandalam Gangadharan for about three years which helped her hone her skills as an actor apart from dancer.
The final part of the letter reveals her intense passion to be a complete actor in a short span of time as she was much hopeful of the characters in some of the movies which were then shot but not released when the letter was drafted.
“In fact, I had received this letter along with some other communications of former actors and writers when the entire studio property was auctioned by the KFC. I had sold or given the properties such as projector, camera, trolly, film processing chemicals and equipment, studio lights, editing machine - Moviola, office furniture and other accessories to some of my friends in the film field then. But, I kept the letter written by Lalitha with me along with some other communications,” says Mr. Sabu.
“There was a letter from writer P. Kesavadev regarding a communication over the rights of his popular novel Odayil Ninnu in case the novel is adapted to movie. Another letter was about a communication between L.K. Advani, who was the then Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Janata government, and Mr, Gopalakrishnan. A good number of such letters were taken by friends, while the letter revealing Lalitha’s aspiration to be a complete actor is still with me as I could judge her intense passion to be an actor in the letter written by late 70’s and the letter proved later she was right,” says Mr. Sabu.
