South Indian actress Pushpalatha dies at 87 in Chennai due to health issues

After a prolonged illness, veteran South Indian actress Pushpalatha died on 5 February in Chennai at the age of 87. She appeared in more than 100 Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films

After a prolonged illness, renowned South Indian actress Pushpalatha died in Chennai on Wednesday, shocking the cinema industry. She was 87 years old. The actress has appeared in more than 100 Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films during her more than 50-year career. 

 

Several celebrities expressed their condolences upon hearing of her passing and described it “as a great loss” for the South film industry.

Who was Pushpalatha?

She marked her entry into Tamil film industry in 1958 with Senkkottai Singam, her first film. Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair's Nurse, her first Malayalam film, was released in 1969. Her roles in well-known films like Sarada, Paar Magaley Paar, Naanum Oru Penn, Yarukku Sontham, Thaaye Unakkaga, Karpooram, Jeevanaamsam, Simla Special, Dharisanam, Kalyanaraman, Sakalakala Vallavan, and Puthu Vellam helped her become well-known throughout her career.

 

She appeared on screen alongside such iconic actors as Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Sivaji Ganesan, and M.G. Ramachandran. Her performances in Kamal Haasan's Kalyanaraman and Sakalakala Vallavan, as well as Rajinikanth's Naan Adimai Illai, are among her most remembered roles. 

 

In addition to her career as an actor, Pushpalatha was a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and producer of two films. She further presented her public image in 1964 when she was chosen to appear in Lux soap commercials.