KOCHI: Thousands including celebrities from the social, cultural and political fields paid their tributes to actress KPAC Lalitha on social media. Mammootty, Mohanlal, Prithviraj, Ramesh Pisharody, Ranji Panicker, Manju Pillai, Namitha Pramod, Jayasurya, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Vineeth and many others paid homage to the actress. The actress was undergoing treatment for various ailments for a long time. She died at her son's house in Tripunithura. Her body kept at the Layam Auditorium in Tripunithura for public homage will be cremated at her house premises in Vadakkancherry this evening.

Mammootty in a Facebook post said that he had lost someone so dear to him.

My dear Lalitha chechi, she as not acting in films and life. She had held her fans and dear ones closely. When she leaves us, not able to pay tributes with just formal words. Her death is an irreplaceable loss, said Mohanlal in a Facebook post.

Manju Warrier too bid adieu to the actress. Though she was called chechi, she was a motherly figure to me. Manoj K Jayan, Dulquer Salman, Innocent and many others also paid tributes.

KPAC who was in the industry for nearly 50 years reached via theatre. Born in Kayamkulam, her real name was Maheswari Amma. She started acting from age ten and learned dancing from Kalamandalam Gangadharan. Her first drama was Geethayude Bali. She later joined KPAC and then she received the name Lalitha. After entering the film field, she was known as KPAC Lalitha. She started her film career through K S Sethumadahavan’s Koottukudumbam.

Lalitha who married Bharathan in 1978, took a long gap from films after he died in 1998. Then she returned acting in Sathyan Anthicaud’s Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal in 1999. She had bagged national awards twice and state awards four times. She has acted in more than 600 films. She has two children including actor and director Sidharth.