Malayalis would remember her as the bubbly, cute girl who walked along a verdant and fenced rural stretch with the evocative Allimalar kaavil pooram kaanan playing in the backdrop. Or, perhaps, the ‘Veeppakutti’ in Meenathil Thaalikettu. She appeared in many hits of the ’80s and ’90s, along with the likes of Mohanlal, Mammootty, Gita and Urvashi. And then quietly faded away.
Ambili Thekkini Kandy, now a lawyer and mother of two daughters, is far from the cine field. She, however, has resplendent memories of the times. TNIE catches up with her as one of the cult classics she had acted in as a child, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989), is set for re-release on Friday.
Q. How do you feel now with Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha being re-released?
I am excited and looking forward to watching the film in 4K quality, and also gauge the people’s reactions to it.
Q. You didn’t appear much in films as an adult actor. Was it a conscious choice?
It was kind of an unfortunate situation, where my dad passed away and I could no longer continue acting. He used to accompany me to the sets and guide me through the process.
He passed away when I was in Class X. Everything stopped with that. Later, as I grew up, I did get offers, even lead roles. But my father was no longer there to take me around or guide me. Also, by then, my focus was on studies.
Shortly after, I got married and got busy with my family. Working in films requires total commitment of time, and hence it would have been difficult for me. I also established a career as a lawyer, which was a childhood dream. So, I like to believe it is my destiny. I now practise fulltime in Kozhikode.
Q. Do you see any changes in the manner child actors are treated? Especially considering talks about child rights in cinema…
I am not aware of the current situation. In my time, it was awesome. We were treated almost on par with the superstars such as Mammootty and Mohanlal. Be it in schools or society in general, we received a lot of attention.
I personally think children should be protected irrespective wherever they are. Back in our times, I guess there was a larger number of child actors. Our school system accommodated us. I was a kid who would go to school only to write the final exams (laughs).
But nowadays, the academic pressure on children is more. Films, too, have changed over the years; it is not the same scenario as it was in late ’80s or ’90s when I was a child actor.
Q. Which were the films you really enjoyed being a part of? And what are your memories of them?
Oh… a whole lot of them. Every film I acted in is a beautiful memory… Vatsalyam, Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha, Meenathil Thalikettu, Midhunam... I have been fortunate to be part of so many classics.
What is more fascinating is that people still recognise me that way. Some of my colleagues send me screenshots of my roles when they watch those films.
Moreover, it is always fascinating for children to see their parents as kids. My daughters are now aged 20 and 14. When they were younger, they would watch my films and tell me why I didn’t remain at that age so that I could have played with them. So, the experiences and memories my cinema career gifted me are indeed pleasant.
Q. Will you still consider acting in movies?
Of course! Cinema was and still remains a passion for me. If good roles come by, I will surely go for it.