Malayalam actor Kanakalatha passed away on Monday night after battling prolonged illness related to Parkinsons and dementia. The 63-year-old breathed her last at her residence in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kanakalatha, who has been active in the film industry for over four decades, has acted in over 350 films. Though predominantly active in Malayalam cinema, she has also done a few Tamil films. Some of her noted films include Kireedam, Chenkol, Spadikam, Oru Yathramozhi, Varnapakittu, Kannezhuthi Pottumthottu, Guru and Vakkalathu Narayanankutty. She was last seen in the Ganesh Raj-directorial Pookkaalam.

Kanakalatha, who started her acting career with amateur dramas, moved on to professional theatre before entering cinema with Lenin Rajendran's Chillu. She has also done noteworthy roles in several TV serials.