Latha, also known as Latha Sethupathi, is an Indian actress who starred in leading roles in South Indian films from 1973 to 1983.[1] She is also known for her roles in various serials in the Tamil language.
Latha Sethupathi was born into the Sethupathi clan, the royal family of Ramnad, in Tamil Nadu, India. Her father was Shanmugha Rajeswara Sethupathi, and her mother was Leelarani. As her mother was not Shanmugha Rajeswara Sethupathi's official wife, Latha's status within the family was illegitimate. She has a brother, actor Rajkumar Sethupathy and half-brothers Dasarathan Sethupathi and Ramanatha Sethupathi. Latha's fluency in both Tamil and Telugu stemmed from her mother's origins in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.[2]
She started her career at age fifteen with encouragement from her aunt, actress Kamala Kotnis.[3] Her first film was Ulagam Sutrum Valiban (1973), starring and produced by M. G. Ramachandran.[4][5]
Latha has acted in more than one hundred films, spanning the Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam languages. Her first film was Ulagam Sutrum Valiban (1973), in which she starred alongside M. G. Ramachandran. It was shot exclusively in foreign locations such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Japan. She remained M. G. Ramachandran's leading lady for several years in Tamil films. He recommended her to star with Akkineni Nageswara Rao for Andala Ramudu (1973), thus making her debut in Telugu films.[6] She specialized in playing glamorous roles in Tamil and Telugu films. She played Zeenat Aman's role in the two remakes in the Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973): the Telugu film, Annadammula Anubandham (1975) and the Tamil film Naalai Namadhe (1975). She played Jaya Bhaduri's role from Zanjeer (1973) in the Telugu remake Nippulanti Manishi (1974), and the Tamil remake, Sirithu Vazha Vendum (1974). She won a Filmfare Award for her performance in Vattathukkul Sadhuram. The Kalaimamani award was bestowed upon her by the State Government of Tamil Nadu for her achievements in the film industry. She has also received awards from the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Government of Andhra Pradesh for her acting ability. She was also briefly involved in politics, as her father, Shanmugha Rajeswara Sethupathi, the Raja of Ramnad, was a politician.[7][3] She played a role in Rajinikanth's movie Shankar Salim Simon (1978). This role made her one of the only two actresses, along with Lakshmi, to be paired with MGR and Rajinikanth in the 1970s Tamil movies. [8]
After a hiatus of 14 years, she began acting again in leading roles in many mega-serials in Tamil and Telugu. In 2002, the actress played a mother-in-law in the Telugu television serials, Eenati Ramayanam,[9] Pavithrabandham, and Matti Manishi.[10] Most recently, she has gained notoriety alongside Radhika in the Tamil television serials Chitthi, Kasthuri, Selvi, and most famously in Arasi. Her role is best known for her catchphrases "Pada Pada Padannu Irukkiradhu" and "Idhu Rombo Too Much" and the humorous portrayal of the character. Currently,[when?] she is acting in the serials Roja as Canada Kamakshi and Sundari Neeyum Sundaran Naanum as Vijayalakshmi.[citation needed]
She is married to Sabapathy, a Singapore businessman whom she has married in 1983. She has two sons, Karthik and Sreenivas.[4][12]