Udaan actor Kavita Chaudhary, India’s beloved ‘Lalitaji’, dies of heart attack at 67

Actor Anang Desai told indianexpress.com, “I came to know this morning that Kavita is no more. She died last night. It is very sad. She was our batchmate at the National School of Drama. We studied together at NSD for three years during our training. Kavita, I, Satish Kaushik, Anupam (Kher), Govind Namdev were together in the same batch.

“She had cancer a few years ago, we have met after that also, but she wanted to keep it private so we never spoke about it. She was originally from Amritsar and died there. I spoke to her about fifteen days ago when she was in Mumbai, she was not keeping too well. Kavita’s nephew informed me about her death this morning.”

Kavita Chaudhary in a still from Udaan. (photo: Express Archives)

Her close friend Suchitra Varma also penned a note for her on Instagram. “My heart feels heavy as I share this news with you all. Last night, we lost a beacon of strength, inspiration, and grace – Kaveta Chaudhary. For those who grew up in the 70s and 80s, she was the face of the Udan series on DD and the iconic ‘Surf’ commercial, but to me, she was much more than that,” she wrote.

Reminiscing about their bond, she added, “I first met Kavetaji at her humble abode in Versova for an assistant director interview. Little did I know that I was about to encounter the legend herself. As she opened her door, memories of her ‘Bhaisahab’ line from the Surf commercial echoed in my mind, and I couldn’t help but utter it aloud. That moment marked the beginning of a bond that transcended mere friendship. She became my mentor, my guide, my spiritual guru, and above all, she became family.

“Kavetaji wasn’t just a symbol of women empowerment; she lived and breathed it. Her work inspired countless women to pursue their dreams, especially in the Indian Police Services. Her legacy of empowerment will continue to resonate for generations to come.”

She also mentioned Kavita’s last few years, “While I find solace in knowing that she is now free from pain, it breaks my heart to realize that she will never pick my calls from now. May her soul find eternal peace. In her memory, I leave you with a quote that encapsulates the essence of this remarkable woman: “Her light may have dimmed on earth, but her spirit shines bright in the heavens above.” Farewell, dear Kaveta Ma’am. You will forever live on in our hearts. 🌟 #RIPKavetaChaudhary.”

 

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Udaan aired in 1989 and in the show, Kavita played the role of IPS officer Kalyani Singh. She also wrote and directed the show, that was based on the life of her sister Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, who became the second IPS officer after Kiran Bedi.

At the time, Kavita was hailed as an icon of female empowerment as there wasn’t much representation of female IPS officers in movies and television. Later in her career, Kavita produced shows like Your Honour and IPS Diaries.

Kavita was also known for playing Lalitaji in the famous Surf ads in the 1980s and 1990s. Here, she played the intelligent housewife who is judicious while spending her money and always makes the right choice. Talking about her character in the ads, she told The Quint, “Lalita ji was this no-nonsense [character] which was not my personality but he just felt that I might be able to understand the tone of it. He relied on the actor’s understanding.”

Udaan was re-telecast on Doordarshan during the pandemic. At the time, Smriti Irani said, “For some it was just a serial, for me it was a call to free myself from situations I deemed impossible to overcome.”