Kalpana spent her entire life making people laugh, but behind her joyful exterior there was a person plagued by pain. Be it illness or personal worries, Kalpana, however, rarely opened up, even to her best friends, because she did not want to burden them with her problems.
Actor Jagadish, who shared screen space with Kalpana in many movies, recalls how she kept a brave face and never bothered others with her worries.
“I first got a hint of Kalpana’s health issues when she told me how she stumbled on Innocent chettan at Amrita Hospital. I asked her why she went there and then she hinted she had some heart-related problems but downplayed it. Then again during the shoot for a comedy show on TV, she suffered heart problems and rang up my wife, who is also a doctor, for medication. But, even then she kept it to herself,” says Jagadish.
However, he adds, Kalpana was always in the forefront to offer assistance. “She would go to any extent to help others. Such a humanitarian she was. As a member of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists), she was always active in charity works,” says Jagadish, who shared a wonderful onscreen chemistry with Kalpana.
For actor Harisree Ashokan, for whom Kalpana was a family friend, her death came as a rude shock, because Kalpana had never shared her pains. “She was close to even my daughter. She would call my wife and talk about everything, but never once did she share her pain and troubles. She was careful not to hurt people who loved her,” says Ashokan.
Comedy Queen
Actor Siddique, who began his career acting alongside Kalpana, remembers how she put him at ease on the sets. “I was a nobody then. Kalpana was already an established actor, but she was so respectful and that shows her respect for acting,” says Siddique.
He adds: “Not just comedy, she was perfect in character roles, too. I think Malayalam industry did not use her ability to the maximum.”
Harisree Ashokan, who was paired opposite Kalpana in many movies, shares the same view when he says her comic timing and impulsive acts would scare him. “I was initially afraid to act with her because her acting was so flawless. But she always made us comfortable. We went on to act as a couple in many movies and she would ask directors to pair us up, because our onscreen chemistry clicked,” says Ashokan.
Jagadish says he was always in awe about how exceptionally good she was in imitating people. “She could imitate a person within a few seconds of observing him. And she was good with languages, too. Kalpana had acted in many Tamil, Telugu and Kannada movies and she dubbed for all her characters,” says Jagadish.
He also remembers the various stage shows they took part together and how Kalpana would wow the crowd in a few seconds.
“She was a born entertainer. Even the most serious person would crack up on hearing her jokes. That was how she warmed up to people. She established an instant connection with the audience and that contributed a lot towards her popularity,” says Jagadish.
KPAC Lalitha, who acted with Kalpana in ‘Thanichalla Njan’, said, “Kalpana’s acting prowess was beyond doubt.”
Poking fun at herself
Kalpana had no qualms taking potshots at herself. Actor Jagadish remmembers her leaving crowd in splits with a question ‘Njan Sundariyalle’ (Am i not beautiful?)
Her memoir
Kalpana, one of the very few Malayalam actress to pen a memoir ‘Njan Kalpana’, had maintained that she has been extremely frank. The book, known for its witty content, traces her life that spans from chilhood to the movies