Together they remind you of another era - Mollywood’s glorious B&W days. When veteran actors Madhu and Sharada are sharing the screen after a long time, it’s bound to have a rush of memories. They will be playing the lead characters in Ammathottil, a film which also marks the return of Sreekumaran Thampi after 21 years. “Though I have acted in a lot of films, certain artists and technicians remain close to my heart for their sheer love of cinema. This is one such film where I get a chance to work with such people. I have been part of eight Sreekumaran Thampi films in the past and this film is like returning to somewhere I belong,” says Madhu.
In the film Madhu plays Joseph Pushpavanam, a renowned poet and Sharada appears as Sulakshana, his college sweetheart. The couple had to part ways following certain unfortunate events and Sulakshana gets trapped in a loveless marriage. Later, when abandoned by her children and left homeless, Joseph enters her life once again. The film portrays how they reinvent love after a long separation. “Age is something that affects your body, not your mind and love is ageless,” says director Sreekumaran Thampi. Suraj Venjaramood, Indrans, Mamukoya, Lalu Alex and Thara Varma are also part of the cast.
Though Ammathottil means the cradle in which unwanted babies are left, in the film it means a place where elderly mothers are left. “It’s a different kind of story which has a lot of relevance today. I think this film can change the attitude of at least some people and I am so happy to be part of this,” says Sharada.
During their heydays Madhu and Sharada were paired opposite each other in a long string of films. “Most of the films in which we acted together were artistic and commercial successes,” adds Madhu. It was for Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Swayamvarm, which featured them both, that Sharada bagged her second national award for the Best Actress.
“Madhu sir was also part of Thulabharam for which I got my first Urvashi award,” Sharada adds. Though she entered the industry through Telugu films, the actress got a real break through Malayalam. “It was Thulabharam that resurrected my career in Telugu. I have been keeping away from films for sometime now and I hope Ammathottil does the same,” she adds. Ammathottil is produced by Ragamalika Combines and Roy John Mathew.