Although Mammootty has delivered several exceptional performances over the decades, Achootty from legendary director Bharathan’s Amaram (1991) remains a fan favourite. And no fan of Amaram will ever forget Chandrika, the sister of Achootty’s best friend who is in love with him. The character of Chandrika was exceptionally brought to life by noted actor Chitra, who was once a beloved figure among South Indian movie audiences.Despite debuting as Mohanlal’s heroine in Hitmaker Sasikumar’s Aattakalasam (1983) and playing notable roles in several Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films, Chitra bid adieu to cinema — and eventually the world — without fulfilling two of her biggest dreams. Chitra’s death was also quite unexpected and gained more attention after one of her closest friends revealed details about their last phone conversation, which happened four hours before her death.Must Read | Jeetendra turned ‘unlucky’ Rs 4.25 lakh Mumbai bungalow into a Rs 1,414 cr real estate empireChitra’s entry into cinemaChitra (née Sruthi Chitra) was born in Kochi as the second of three daughters of Madhavan, a railway engineer, and Devi. Her father was Tamil, and her mother was Malayali. Because of her father’s job, Chitra’s family moved to Chennai during her childhood. She could not continue her studies beyond the tenth grade and eventually stepped into the world of cinema as a child artiste.She made her debut in an adult role in Aattakalasam, opposite the then up-and-coming Mohanlal. Interestingly, she and Mohanlal were birthday twins, both born on May 21. With Aattakalasam becoming a massive success and its song “Naanamaavunno Meninovunno” becoming a rage among audiences, Chitra quickly landed many movies. Chitra with her co-star Mohan in Manithan Marivittan. (Express archive photo)She also portrayed key roles in films such as Sandarbham (1984), Paavam Poornima (1984), Aazhi (1985), Manya Mahajanangale (1985), Oduvil Kittiya Vartha (1985), Pathamudayam (1985), Katha Ithuvare (1985), Panchagni (1986), Padaharella Ammayi (1986), Manathil Urudhi Vendum (1987), Oorkavalan (1987), Mukthi (1988), Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989), Kalikkalam (1990), Ajay Vijay (1990), Parampara (1990), Malayogom (1990), Ee Thanutha Veluppan Kalathu (1990), Kakkathollayiram (1991), Cheran Pandian (1991), Kankettu (1991), Adhwaytham (1992), Devaasuram (1993), Ekalvyan (1993), Commissioner (1994), Aaraam Thampuran (1997), Ustaad (1999), Mister Butler (2000), and Soothradharan (2001).Life with a strict, overprotective fatherWhile soaring as an actor, Chitra also faced great ordeals in her personal life. The actions of her extremely strict father often shattered her peace of mind. This worsened following the death of her mother. Reportedly, her father not only accompanied her to movie sets but also refused to let her speak to even her female co-workers. His restrictions suffocated Chitra immensely.Story continues below this adJailer 2 Box Office Collection Day 3 Updates | Rajinikanth’s film set to cross Rs 400 crore mark; Nelson thanks audienceHowever, she used to think from his perspective as well and often assumed that he behaved like that out of concern for his daughters’ safety, particularly since he was looking after them as a widower.Meanwhile, Chitra reportedly fell in love with a noted Tamil director, and their relationship even reached the stage of engagement. However, she eventually realised that he was a narcissist and ended things with him.As she was scaling heights as an actor, Chitra’s father fell ill, with both his kidneys failing. Concerned that his daughter would end up alone after his death, her father began hurriedly arranging marriage proposals for Chitra. She tied the knot with Vijayaraghavan, a businessman, in 1990. They had a daughter named Mahalakshmi.Story continues below this adAfter marriage, she stayed away from cinema and led a peaceful family life in Chennai. However, she later made a comeback, but her second innings wasn’t as successful as her first. Chitra with her co-stars Nizhalgal Ravi and Rajthilak in Paasakanal. (Express archive photo)A sudden departure and two unfulfilled dreamsIn 2021, she celebrated her birthday better than usual. She died the same year on August 21 at her home in Chennai due to a cardiac arrest. Chitra departed with two big desires left unfulfilled — one was winning the State Award for Best Actress, and the other was working with Fazil in a film.Four hours before her death, Chitra reportedly called her close friend, actor Kutty Padmini, and asked her to look after her daughter, pointing out that there was no one else to entrust her to. She also informed Padmini where her savings were, almost as if she knew her life was about to end. This was despite Vijayaraghavan being around at that time.ICYMI | Who is Kavya Maran? Heir to Rs 24,600 cr empire, she is now engaged to Anirudh RavichanderStory continues below this adHowever, Chitra’s death shattered Vijayaraghavan mentally and physically. He died just about 30 days after her death. Mahalakshmi is now reportedly under the care of actors Kutty Padmini and Saranya Ponvannan.