Lalitha Lajmi was born in Kolkata in 1932 This self-taught artist began painting in the early sixties  

Lajmi's paintings are figurative in nature, depicting men, women, children, and clowns The concept of 'performance' has been a recurring theme, with performers appearing not only on stage or in the circus, but also in everyday life Her early works were more melancholy, while her later works are more optimistic Her works, however, have remained autobiographical over the years

Lajmi's work had progressed into etchings, oils, and watercolours by the mid-1980s The works from the late 1950s and early 1990s reflect the latent tensions that exist between men and women, which are reflected in the various roles they play She portrays her female characters as assertive and aggressive She places visuals of Durga or Kali atop emaciated men kneeling, almost as if they were in the midst of some form of classical corporal punishment She has also illustrated the natural bonding that exists between women, particularly between mother and daughter figures, possibly based on her personal relationship with her daughter, well-known filmmaker Kalpana

She is one of the best watercolourists in India The artist has held solo shows in several prestigious galleries in India like the Prithvi Art Gallery, Pundole Art Gallery and gallery 7 in Mumbai, Apparao Galleries in Chennai and Art Heritage in Delhi 

The artist found her creative influence through Indian films Films in particular made by Guru Dutt, Satyajit Ray and Raj Kapoor Lalitha was the recipient of the Government of India Junior Fellowship from 1979 to 1983 She lives and works out of Mumbai