Noted South Indian actress Pushpalatha passed away on February 5 in Chennai at the age of 87 after a prolonged illness. With a distinguished career spanning multiple decades, she acted in over 100 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema.
Pushpalatha made her Tamil film debut in 1958 with Senkkottai Singam and entered Malayalam cinema in 1969 with Nurse, directed by Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair.
She gained recognition for her performances in notable films such as Sarada, Paar Magaley Paar, Naanum Oru Penn, Yarukku Sontham, Thaaye Unakkaga, Karpooram, Jeevanaamsam, Dharisanam, Kalyanaraman, Sakalakala Vallavan, Simla Special, and Puthu Vellam.
The actress shared screen space with legendary stars like M.G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth, and Kamal Haasan. Some of her most memorable roles include her performances in Rajinikanth’s Naan Adimai Illai and Kamal Haasan’s Kalyanaraman and Sakalakala Vallavan.
Apart from acting, Pushpalatha was a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and also ventured into film production, producing two films. In 1964, she became the face of Lux soap advertisements, further solidifying her public presence.
Her personal life was deeply connected to the film industry. She fell in love with actor and producer AVM Rajan during the shooting of Naanum Oru Penn, and the two later got married. The couple had two daughters, including Tamil actress Mahalakshmi.
Her final silver screen appearance was in the 1999 film Poovasam, directed by Sree Bharathi.
Following her retirement from cinema, Pushpalatha dedicated her later years to spirituality and social service, stepping away from the limelight.
Her passing marks the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of actors and cinema lovers.
