Life is not about success alone. Failures can happen to anyone at any time. A majority of them will be of our own doing. In my life too, there is such a chapter—something I brought upon myself after plunging headlong into something I did not know about. I’ve already said I was very interested in acting and movies. My father and I used to watch movies regularly. Thus arose my interest in the tinsel world and the actor in me keenly observed every movie.
Most of the stalwarts of Malayalam cinema were our family friends. G. Venkiteswaran, owner of G.V. Films, Tamil film producer Ratnam Iyer, Mohan of Shogun Films (GoodKnight Mohan), to name a few, were all very close to our family. We used to go on frequent trips with them. Mohan is my father’s sister’s son. We were together in school and college. Our common interest in movies was one factor that strengthened our bond. We used to go together to watch the new releases. Discussions about the story and acting would go on for days together. Once on a trip to Sabarimala, the conversation of our friends centred on movies. I shared my passion for movies with G. Venkiteswaran and Ratnam Iyer. They encouraged me when I said I wanted to do something in the field.
Film production is a lucrative area, they said, rekindling my passion. I knew acting wasn’t an easy affair. So, I tried my hand at film production. The year was 1982. There was a youth association in Thrissur comprising Balakrishnan of the daily Express, my relative and auditor Balaraman, and Raju, who supplied elephant paraphernalia for the annual Thrissur Pooram festival. We would meet up on certain evenings. What bound us all together was our common interest in games and the field of art. Movies found a place in our discussions during our evening meetings. It was during one such evening meeting that I decided to take up film production. Call it the immaturity of youth or the habit of acting on impulse. Each one would bring in Rs 1 lakh. That was the decision. And so was born the banner of Ambal Films.
My father was against the idea when I introduced it at home. He warned me against going into unfamiliar areas. He advised me not to go after movies by sidelining our business. It was tough to convince my father. I told him I needed only Rs 1 lakh. After several rounds of talks, he finally changed his mind. It was a one-time nod. But he was firm on two conditions: One, it must be the first and the last venture. No more movie projects, even if this became a success. Two, the shooting of the film must not be at the cost of one’s business. ‘Invest money if you must. But back off after that. Let your friends look after the rest,’ was what he said. I agreed. That’s how I became a part of Ambal Films.
Our first project was a movie based on Perumbadavam Sreedharan’s Ashtapadi. Sreedharan wrote the screenplay for the movie directed by Ambili. The cast included Bharat Gopi, Devan, Adoor Bhasi, Menaka and Sukumari, among others. The lyrically beautiful songs, penned by P. Bhaskaran and Vidyadharan Master, were the highlight of Ashtapadi. ‘Vinninte Virimaaril’, rendered by Yesudas, was the best of the lot. ‘Chandana Charchitha’ by Kavalam Sreekumar and ‘Pandu Pandoru Kalath’ by Sujatha captured the hearts of many a listener. The film was a failure in the theatres despite the presence of a good story and songs. The reason? Ashtapadi was released along with three popular films!
The movie had to compete with Padmarajan’s Koodevide, Mohanlal-starrer Enginei Nee Marakkum and every family’s heart-throb Baby Shalini’s Ente Mamattikuttiyammakku. While people flocked to watch these movies, our film fell by the wayside. There was another reason why the film failed to catch the imagination of the people. It was released only in the small theatres of small towns. It was the distributor’s failure. Distributors in those days used to take an advance amount from the theatre owners. In the mad rush to secure the advance amount, our distributor approached only the owners of small theatres! So, we got no theatres in the best centres. So, it was no surprise that the film was a box office disaster. With that, Ambal Films became neck-deep in debt.
To tide over the crisis, there was no other solution but to shell out more money. For at stake was the reputation of our family and business. To clear the debts, we gave Rs 10 lakh. The others chipped in with the rest of the amount. Debt-free, we heaved a sigh of relief. And so ended a bitter chapter in our life. That failure, even to this day, stands as a warning to all who tread the unfamiliar path heeding someone else’s words. It was the most valuable lesson I learnt from the world of movies. If you don’t look before you leap, you will fall flat on your face.
This excerpt from TS Kalyanaraman’s ‘The Golden Touch: The Journey of Kalyan Jewellers’ has been published with permission from Penguin Random House India.