Chennai, Feb 5 (IANS): Noted South Indian actress Pushpalatha passed away on February 5, in Chennai at the age of 87 after a prolonged illness. Pushpalatha had a distinguished career spanning multiple decades, acting in over 100 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema.

She made her Tamil film debut in 1958 with Senkkottai Singam and entered the Malayalam film industry in 1969 with Nurse, directed by Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair. Throughout her career, 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.

She shared screen space with legendary actors like M.G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth, and Kamal Haasan. Some of her most memorable roles include performances in Rajinikanth’s Naan Adimai Illai and Kamal Haasan’s Kalyanaraman and Sakalakala Vallavan.

Beyond acting, Pushpalatha was also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and ventured into film production, producing two films. In 1964, she became the face of Lux soap advertisements, further cementing her presence in the public eye.

Her personal life was closely tied to the film industry as well. 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.

Pushpalatha made her final silver screen appearance in the 1999 film Poovasam, directed by Sree Bharathi. Following her retirement from cinema, she dedicated her later years to spirituality and social service, embracing a life away from the limelight. Her demise marks the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire generations of actors and cinema lovers.