Lalita Pawar's Tragic Fall: A Slap Ruined Her Career, Husband Married Her Sister, Found Dead At Home

Lalita Pawar is one of the few actresses whose name is etched in the soul of the Indian film industry. The actress owned the film scene with versatility and worked with some of the best directors of her time. The actress was born on April 18, 1916, and appeared in over 700 films during her career. While her achievements and contributions are unmatched, so is the sadness that loomed over her life. Lalita made her mark in the film industry with her phenomenal performances across a spectrum of genres. 

In her eighty-one years on earth, Lalita Pawar worked in a series of films and television shows. However, her versatility was not just evident in the roles she played; it was also evident in how she was not tied by linguistic barriers either. The actress played crucial roles in Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati cinema which speaks volumes about her passion and talents as an actress. However, her destiny had different plans, and her rising stars soon fell into the darkness of tragic incidents.

Lalita Pawar made her acting debut in Hindi cinema's first full-length film, Raja Harishchandra

While most remember Lalita Pawar for her phenomenal performance as 'Manthara' in Ramanand Sagar's television show, Ramayan. A few are aware that the actress's debut marked a pivotal moment in the first chapter of Indian cinema's history. Lalita was born into a wealthy family in Nashik. Her father, Laxman Rao Sagun, was a silk and cotton merchant and had named the iconic actress, Amba Laxman Rao at the time of her birth. However, when she entered the film industry, she changed her name to Lalita Pawar.

Lalita had a keen interest in drama and acting from a very early age, so when she was given the opportunity to act one day, she was over the moon. The actress was at a film studio and asked a director to photograph her so she could fulfil her dream of seeing herself on the big screen. However, while for Lalita, it was just a fun project, the director was impressed by her screen presence and thought of casting her in a film. 

Destiny moved its wheels, and soon enough, Lalita was handed her first project. However, it was not just any film, it was the first full-length Hindi film in the history of Indian cinema. Lalita soon made her debut in the film Raja Harishchandra at the tender age of 9. 

The slap that changed Lalita Pawar's career trajectory

While Lalita Pawar's career was quickly climbing the ladder of success, an incident soon changed everything. Lailta was shooting for the film, Jung-E-Azadi alongside renowned actor, Bhagwan Dada in 1942 when an injury dealt a major blow to her future in the film industry. Lalita was 14 years old when the shooting happened, and the script required Bhagwan to slap the young actress. Unfortunately, the actor accidentally slapped her so hard that her left ear started bleeding.

Lalita Pawar was soon taken to the hospital for immediate care, but luck seemed to be against her, and she received the wrong treatment. The mistake worsened the actress' injury, and she suffered facial paralysis, permanently damaging her left eye. Lalita opened up about the same in an old interview with Cineplot and was quoted as saying:

"My career as a leading lady came to an abrupt end, due to an un­fortunate incident during the shooting of Jung-E-Azadi. As per the scene, Master Bhagwan had to deliver a slap on my face and when he did so, it was so hard that I suffered facial paralysis as a result. My left eye was permanently damaged."

The injury ultimately led to the end of Lalita Pawar's career as a lead actress, and she was soon forced to make a difficult choice. Lalita had two options, she could either accept character roles or bid farewell to the film industry. However, her love for acting prevailed, and she went on to work in supporting roles in several films. Despite the injury, she worked passionately and phenomenally, bagging roles alongside stars like Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and many others.

Lalita Pawar's husband, Ganpatrao Pawar's extra-marital affair with her sister

While Lalita Pawar handled the hit to her professional career with immense grace and strength, her personal life blew her another major shock. Her first husband, Ganpatrao Pawar, got involved with her sister. When the actress learned about the affair, it left her shattered. Two of her closest people had betrayed her in the worst way possible. However, Lalita still kept her cool and divorced her husband so he could marry her sister. 

For the unversed, Lalita Pawar had tied the knot with Ganpatrao Pawar in the mid-1930s. The divorce took an emotional toll on Lalita. However, years later, the pain was soothed by ace producer, Raj Kumar Gupta, who restored her faith in true love. The couple got married and welcomed a baby boy, whom they named, Jai Pawar.

Lalita Pawar's dead body was found three days after she passed away

Lalita Pawar made a name for herself and stood strong despite facing one hurdle after the other in both her professional and personal life, but even her passing came as a tragic cloud. The actress took her last breath at the age of 81 on February 24, 1998, after a long battle with cancer. However, the more heartbreaking part about her demise was that she was all alone at her residence during her final moments. It was Lalita Pawar's son, Jai Pawar, who called her, but when the actress didn't answer her phone for three days, he asked the neighbours to check on her. The actress was found dead at her residence, and her family soon rushed to her place. 

While Lalita Pawar's life ended on a sad note, her journey had been nothing short of illustrious.

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