Hyderabad: Actress Lalita Pawar brought to life the stereotypical evil mother-in-law with such perfection that she soon became synonymous with negative roles. The trailblazer of negative, strong female roles, Lalita Pawar's career spanned over 70 years with more than 700 films to her filmography. She acted in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati cinema and holds the Guinness world record for the longest acting career ever.
The quintessential vamp of Bollywood started off as a child artist when she was just 9 years old with Raja Harishchandra (1928). Though she wanted to play lead roles, she had to resort to side gigs owing to an eye injury she sustained during the shoot of a movie. However, with such acting finesse, she immediately took to negative roles and became a household name.
The prolific Indian actress was born as Amba Laxman Rao Sagun on 18 April 1916 in Yeola in Nashik. She belonged to an orthodox family, wherein her father was a rich silk merchant. She played prominent roles in the silent era of Hindi cinema and reigned in 1940s. She acted all through her life until her death on February 24, 1998 in Aundh, Pune. She left behind a huge legacy with no actor to date to fit in the shoes of her charismatic personality and conviction.
Even the best actresses today cannot match Lalita Pawar's portrayal of a cruel mother-in-law. She was a brilliant actress and one of the most popular heroines of her era. She left her mark without even trying, progressing from a child artist to a leading lady to negative roles. In 1961, the Government of India in recognition of her acting calibre honoured her as the first lady of Indian cinema.
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