Maheshwari Amma better known by her stage name K.P.A.C. Lalitha, is an Indian film and stage actress who works primarily in Malayalam cinema. She was married to late filmmaker Bharathan.

K.P.A.C. Lalitha was born Maheshwari Amma in Ramapuram near Kayamkulam, Alappuzha, Kerala to Kadaykatharayil Veettil K. Ananthan Nair and Bhargavi Amma on 1947. She has a brother and a sister: Krishnakumar and Shyamala. She learned to dance when she was still a child under the tutelage of Kalamandalam Gangadharan.

She started acting in plays when she was 10 years old.[1] Her first appearance on stage was in the play Geethayude Bali. She later joined K.P.A.C. (Kerala People's Arts Club), which was a prominent leftist drama troupe in Kerala. She was given the screen-name Lalitha and later when she started acting in movies, the tag K.P.A.C. was added to her screen-name to differentiate it from another actress called Lalitha.

Her first movie was the film adaptation of her K.P.A.C. play Koottukudumbam directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. She then went on to act in critically acclaimed films like Swayamvaram and Anubhavangal Palichakal. She acted as the heroine opposite superstar Prem Nazir in Chakravakam. She was the female lead in Kodiyettam (1977) with actor Bharath Gopi.

In 1978 she married Bharathan, a noted Malayalam film director.[2] She took a break from film acting for sometime, doing only a few films. The second era of her career started with Kattathe Kilikkoodu (1983) directed by her husband. During this time, she did many critically acclaimed roles including those in Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Ponn Muttyidunna Tharavu (1988), Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu (1988), Vadakku Nooki Yanthram (1989), Dasharatham (1989), Venkalam (1993), Godfather (1991), Amaram (1991), Vietnam Colony (1993), Pavithram (1993), Manichitrathazhu (1994), Sphadikam (1995), and Aniyathi Pravu (1997). She won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Amaram (1991), a film directed by her husband Bharathan.

K.P.A.C Lalitha is the proud owner of the powerful and modulative voice. That voice given completion to her characters and made that roles immortal. For movie 'Mathilukal' (In 'Mathilukal' heroine is represented by voice no appearance on screen), the director Adoor Gopalakrishnan used her voice for heroine. She has even given her voice for Sharada in Udayam(1973), Badradeepam(1973) and Thara (1970),Nanditha Bose in Dharmayudham, Vijayasree in Padmavyooham(1973) and for Surekha in Thakara(1980).

In 1998, when Bharathan died, she took a break for a few months only to come back with a brilliant performance in Sathyan Anthikkad directed Veendum Chila Veetukaryangal (1999). K.P.A.C. Lalitha's notable roles in recent years were in Shantham (2000), Life Is Beautiful (2000), Alaipayuthey (2000) and Valkannadi (2002). She won her second National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Shantham (2000), directed by Jayaraj.

K.P.A.C, Lalitha has acted in over 500 Malayalam films and three Tamil films.[3] She still appears in films and is a well-respected person in the Malayalam film industry.[4]

K.P.A.C Lalitha has acted alongside many popular actors of the Malaylam film industry: Bharath Gopi, Kuthiravattam Pappu, Sankaradi, Innocent, Thilakan, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Mala Aravindan, Krishnankutty Nair, Karamana Janardanan Nair, Janardanan, Nedumudi Venu, and Murali to name a few. She acted with Mammootty in the movie Kanalkaattu.K.P.A.C. Lalitha was married to director Bharathan. Her son Sidharth debuted as an actor in the movie Nammal, which was directed by Kamal. After a short career in acting, he chose a career in film direction. In 2012, he made his directorial debut with the film Nidra, which is the remake of 1984 film with the same title written and directed by his father Bharathan. She had also acted in the movie Nidra.

Lalitha has published an autobiography, titled Katha Thudarum (Story To Be Continued), which won the Cherukad Award in 2013.