Those who have been to New Theatre would, perhaps, be familiar with the quaint old house, tucked away in a corner of the expansive compound, to the right of the iconic building. Known simply as ‘Theatre House’, this one-storied building in traditional Kerala style architecture with Tamil influences, was once home to the late P. Subramoniam, pioneering director and producer of the Malayalam film industry. By virtue of Subramonian’s and his Merryland studios’ association with the industry, Theatre House could well have played a role in the story of Malayalam cinema itself.
“If I remember correctly, the house was built in 1935-36, around about the time the theatre itself came up,” recalls octogenarian Leela S. Pillai, only daughter of Subramoniam. “I was barely two or three years old, when we moved from my grandmother’s home in Chala to Theatre House. My youngest brother was born after we set up home here. It was actually great fun to grow up here given that the theatre is just across the yard. I remember how we children used to hop across to watch the action on screen, particularly whenever the songs came on. Of course, we had to surreptitiously crouch inside the door, in case father caught us at it!” she says with a laugh.
Leela, her parents and brothers lived at Theatre House for almost a decade, before moving home once again and she says that it has been in continuous occupation since then. “It was for a while occupied by my eldest brother and his family and then given on rent for a few years. At one point of time, the artistes who acted in Merryland Studio productions were also put up here,” says Leela, who has been living in Theatre House with her family, on and off, since the mid 1970s. Presently, her daughter Krishna and grandson Vignesh stay with her in the well-kept house.
As it was then, a beautiful statue of Lord Krishna made of clay – said to be as old as the house itself –welcomes visitors to Theatre House. Inlaid front of the statue and behind it are Chettinad tiles, arranged in the pattern of kolams. Although weathered by rain and shine and the many footsteps that have traipsed over it over the decades, the tiles, still retain the signature red hue of the clay found in the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu.
The front façade too hasn’t changed much since the house was built 80 years ago. The tiled roof still has two gables on each side, inside which figurines of Lord Krishna and Lord Murugan have been carved on wood; the carving of Murugan on the right side of the building is obscured by the branches of the stately, old jackfruit tree that grows in the garden. “The gables had carved wooden borders too but they have since fallen off,” explains Leela.
Up the unpolished granite steps to the veranda and you’ll immediately feel like you are in an island of calm amid all the hullaballoo outside. The mosaic flooring (that was laid over the original cement flooring sometime in the 60s) and the timber ceiling polished with age offers an immediate respite from the heat outside. The family has also kept the original wooden windows and doors intact; each window frame, inside and outside, has glass panels painted with a flower and leaf pattern.
The living room with it high wooden ceiling is the centre of attraction of the house and is neatly arranged with a mix of original and colonial art deco furniture. Gracing the walls are several paintings of religious iconography such as a Tanjore painting of Lord Murugan [“embossed in Germany”] and a pencil and charcoal drawing of Lord Krishna, both of which Leela believes have been hanging in the same place since the beginning. There are also a couple of portraits on the walls, including a large one of a young Leela with her parents.
The living room leads off to bedrooms on either side, the prayer room and the dining room, which are more or less its miniature versions, high ceilings, mosaic floors, wooden widow frames et al.
It seems that the only part of the house that has been renovated is the kitchen and dining area and that too only a couple of years ago. “It had a beautiful sloping jali made of wood. We had to tear it down because the slats were infested with mice and were a haven for marapatti [Asian palm civet],” explains Leela. “The dining table came much later. Initially, the entire family used to take our meals sitting on the cement floor,” she recalls, as we make our way back to the small garden in front.
“There used to be a deep rivulet which ran in front of the garden. My father was afraid that we kids would fall into it, so he had it diverted to the back of the property,” says Leela.
(A fortnightly column on houses in and around the city that are more than 50 years old.)
