KPAC Lalitha and Bharathan had fun-filled home: Jayaraj

Lalitha chechi was a main reason for my entry into films, as she introduced me to Bharathettan (her late husband and celebrated director Bharathan), and it marked the course my life would take. So I owe her that. I then became like a member of their family, spending time in their homes in Chennai. It was like a gurukulam.

The last film that she was working on was my Aval. She had some ailments, but when she faced the camera, she would change and become energetic. To an extent, she converted the ups and downs in her life into a rare energy and skill as an actor. She worked from when she was 13 in theatre to then, in films to her very last days and throughout her life, only in very few films, such as in

Shantham

, where she plays a mother whose son is killed in a political crime, is she submissive and helpless.

Largely, she has portrayed characters who are very everyday and ordinary, but always also strong and reactive. She is irreplaceable for this skill to bring vibrancy to down to earth characters. She lived her life in the same manner, with bold honesty. We almost feared this, because she did not shirk from calling out the truth.

She and Bharathettan made a rare artistic couple, who nurtured each other. He had been able to explore her talent in

Amaram

, for which she won her first National Award. The ambience at their houses in their hometowns in Kayamkulam and Wadakancherry was enveloped with the aura of cinema. It was filled with fun and music. They would tease and joke with each other, and were both very aware of each other’s skills and calibre and were respectful of that. In the day, film people, such as actor Nedumudi Venu, would visit and it would be filled with fun discussions, and in the evenings, the mood would be one of music, which they were both knowledgeable in.