MUMBAI: It won’t be easy for Malayalam cinema to come to terms with KPAC Lalitha’s demise. An actor who has portrayed various emotions with ease on screen, Lalitha’s characters always felt like someone we knew. Be it the motherly emotions, or the typical human tendencies of jealousy, gossiping and anger – Lalitha did it all on screen through her characters as if there was no camera in front of her. Her range of characters is unmatchable.
From highly emotional characters in Shantam, Kanmadam, Valkkanadi, Manassinakkare, Bhramaram among others to the exhilarating physical comedy in Manichitrathazhu, Kanalkkattu, Godfather, Vietnam Colony, Thenmavin Kombath and hundreds of other movies, each character was distinctive.
However, there’s another aspect of Lalitha as an artiste that was exploited by Malayalam filmmakers. Her ability to narrate backstories in movies was as good as visualising them. In Manichitrathazhu, the way Basura Kunjamma narrates the story of Karnavar and Nagavalli to Ganga is one instance where Lalitha’s exceptional storytelling skills take us back to a different time period.
Even in the recent movie #Home, KPAC Lalitha plays an ageing grandmother who narrates an incident involving Indrans’ character Oliver Twist. It is a key plot point in the movie that connects two timelines and Lalitha’s narration of an important incident in her life is again like a wise old grandmother narrating a fairytale to curious children.
Even in a small role in Prithviraj starrer Adam Joan, which is a mediocre movie trying to use the concept of Satan worship, Lalitha’s description of Karuthachanootu, a cult worshipping Satan, gives us the chills. Lalitha’s narration about Karuthachanootu makes the movie exciting. The viewer can feel the excitement growing the moment Lalitha’s character confronts Lena’s character, who is part of the Satan cult. The way she uses her eyes and expressions in line with her narrative style builds excitement in viewers, making those scenes memorable.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s cinematic adaptation of Basheer’s Mathilukal is also elevated by KPAC Lalitha’s magical voice. Adoor himself was doubtful about using Lalitha’s voice for the invisible character Narayani as viewers would imagine Lalitha as Narayani. But Lalitha’s voice for Narayani exceeded all preconceived notions as it exploded with unconditional, raw and omnipresent love and her replies to Basheer exuded innocent love and poetic lust, as they conversed between the high walls of the prison. In one of the conversations between Narayani and Basheer, Narayani asks in Lalitha’s voice, “Will you remember me if I die?” Basheer replies, “Your sign is all over the world” – a reply that marks Lalitha’s life as an immortal artiste.
Credit: The Indian Express
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