She may not have reined him in but even the rebel star looks relaxed when Sumalatha is around. There’s a Zen like calmness about her presence and warmth in her smile that’s reassuring. Very few gave their marriage a chance with sympathies lying entirely with her but they’ve spent a quarter of a century together and emerged unscathed, emotionally.
You know Ambareesh is not in the house when the house wears a deserted look. The main door opens to a huge blow-up of Sumalatha and her son accompanied by a poignant poem written by Abhishek extolling her maternal virtues. The huge living room is filled with intricately crafted idols jostling for space with knick knacks and pictures. She sweeps in with a smile brighter than the majestic chandelier above.
The news of D. Rama Naidu passing away must have brought a surge of memories.
It certainly did. I have a connection with him that not many people know of. He was the first person to offer a role while I was still in school. He wrote a letter and had given me a signing amount of Rs.1001 in 1979. He knew my mother’s family. Everyone wanted to work with him because of the way he treated them. I was a newcomer when I acted in a multi-starrer. He flew me down to Mysore and put me up in Lalith Mahal alongside Jayaprada and Jayasudha. There’s a fondness mixed with sadness.
Did that letter trigger off your ambition to act?
In a way, yes. I’d won a women’s pageant which garnered some publicity in magazines. He’d seen the picture and enquired about me. The fact that he knew my family made him more eager.
16 is a pretty young age to debut.
I was 15. In those days girls entered pretty early. They said I could finish 10th standard, shoot in the holidays and return to school. Very few people get back. I started getting offers immediately after my debut. You get into this and don’t get out. It’s addictive but I have no regrets. The film industry has given me everything.
You’d acted in all the four South Indian languages in the first couple of years.
The film industry in those days was based in Chennai. Most shootings happened there and there was a constant search for fresh faces. It’s also easier for us to pick up languages than the Mumbai girls. Most of us from that era acted in various languages. We have this annual reunion of stars from the eighties. It’s great. I don’t see that happening today. Very few today belong to the South industry. I’d love to see local girls acting in our films. I don’t have anything against the Mumbai girls though.
You’re connecting now but were you connected at that time?
I was pretty close to a few. We were very busy and there were no mobile phones. Considering all that we had a good rapport which we realise now. I was very close to Suhasini, Vishnuvardhan and Chiranjeevi. There’s so much fun when we meet now. We pull each other’s legs. The eighties were a horrible period for make-up. We laugh at ourselves. Good or bad we were original.
You won an award for your first Tamil film. Did you know what you wanted from cinema?
I was too young. It was an impulsive decision. I was quite good academically. My uncles wanted me to go for the civil services. There was financial considerations too since I’d lost my father at a very young age. Someone had to take the mantle of bread-winner. A cousin succinctly told me that I could end up as a district collector but cinema could get me fame that very few can hope to attain. I took a chance.
You didn’t mind playing second fiddle and the role of Clara in ‘Thoovanathumbigal’ was bold. Did people advise you against that role?
There were a few who thought it would damage my image but I wanted to work with Padmarajan. I’m a great fan of Gulzar and though he was the Gulzar of the South. Malayalam films were ahead of times in those days. They’ve give me the most job satisfaction. The response to Clara was something I’d not imagined. Even today, after 25 years I get feedback. Mohanlal says I can’t imagine the response the film and my role have garnered over the years. You can’t calculate or plan such things. We did films by instinct. People have asked me recently if I’d be interested in doing a sequel to that film.
In the eighties actors opted to do Malayalam films as a crash course in acting because the money was marginal.
That’s true. We did Telugu films for the money, Tamil because they were interesting but Malayalam was for artistic satisfaction. I’m not saying all the roles were great but we got meaty roles unlike today. The shelf life has reduced and where are the heroine centric roles? We were luckier.
There was a long gap after you did your first Kannada film.
My third film was in Kannada with Dr. Rajkumar. There was a gap, yes because I was very busy elsewhere. In 1981 I had 21 releases so you can imagine. I was doing three shifts. It was chaotic. I was in the studio or airports. The quality did suffer along with appearance but we didn’t pause to think.
When you act with a hero you don’t know you tend to consult colleagues who’ve worked with him about his reputation. Did you do that with Ambareesh?
(Laughs) I didn’t need to ask. People came and told me stories. Suhasini teased me, ‘watch out’ she said. I was a bit scared to work with him. He had quite a reputation. I expressed my apprehensions to my mother. She advised me not to go by rumours. She said there could be rumours about me too. I was very, very scared when I started working with him.
My makeup man scared me too. He was senior. He asked me to avoid Ambareesh on the sets and not even sit close to him. “Don’t even smile at him,” was his advise. On my part, instinctively, right from the first day I liked him. The kind of love people had for him and the way he interacted. You can gather opinions from the spot boys which are reliable. They know what a person is all about. Producers and directors are opportunistic. I learnt how helpful he was, even saving lives. There wasn’t too much money in those days but he still helped everyone. Those were the qualities that attracted me to him. He was compassionate and very generous. I’ve not seen a more generous person in my life. I was an introvert. He was the exact opposite. The sets came alive when he entered. He drew me out. He made me laugh.
Liking and admiring someone is ok but marriage is a different ball-game.
That’s true. It took a long time. I’m not someone who can take instant decisions in such matters. I met him in 1984. It turned serious around 1989.
I guess one of the things that worked is that you never tried to change his basic personality.
Well, he’s not a changeable person. Nobody on earth can change him. Also I think it’s futile when you like a person for a certain set of qualities. Some things did bother me. The same things that you liked could upset you after marriage. He was always surrounded by friends. We had fifty people in the evening everyday which was too much for me. That was the only reason for quarrels. Later I took it in my stride because it was what made him happy.
Nowadays when they sign him they feel it’s safe to sign you too.
(Laughs) I don’t think so. It’s quite funny when we work together now. He teases producers saying I have enough of her at home. Can’t you get someone different at least on the sets at least? You made your debut at 16 and got married around 27. Was it a tough decision?
It was a pretty hectic pace and all my siblings were married. So you start gravitating towards wanting your own home and family. People I know gave our marriage one year. That made me more determined. You have to work at it. There are ups and downs. Everything is ephemeral. Leaving someone is easy.
With your husband in politics and your son in London how did you spend time?
You won’t believe but I don’t find to do the things I want to. Today you’re witnessing a peaceful house because he’s not at home. Otherwise you wouldn’t have had place to sit. There’s always something happening. I don’t know how time passes. From last year I’ve wanted to start an NGO with like-minded people. I hope to do it this year. I actually need more time. Nowadays an occasional shoot for a film seems to be a holiday.
