Potpourri of tidbits about Tamil cinema - Kutty Padmini
Q: Your entry into the small screen was sudden … how did it happen?
A: I went to Singapore along with S. P. Balasubramaniam for a program in the year 1971. For the first time in my life, I watched television there. I was terribly impressed. The Singapore Government requested me to present a program for free. I produced a play ‘Pattu maami, Kittu maamaa’ based on the script written by ‘Madhi Oli’ Shanmugam. And, I danced to the famous Padmini number ‘Marainthirunthae paarkkum …” of the film ‘Thillaanaa Mohanaambaal’. The program was received well and I got recognition for my work. And, with the permission of the Singapore Government, I stayed there for six more months and learned the production techniques for television programs. I got interested in producing serials for television after this experience. I had to face so many problems and overcome many hurdles before I could meet the Union Minister Ajithkumar Pancha and get permission to make programs with advertisements for Doordarshan. I got an opportunity to meet Darshankumar and Gulshankumar. They advised me to visit the Vaishnavi Devi temple near Kashmir and pray there for success. I followed their advice and on my return, I got the permission for producing programs. I named my company after the name of Goddess Vaishnavi as Vaishnavi Enterprises. It was a wonderful experience.
I acted in a number of serials in the beginning. Today, I’ve grown as a producer, big enough to employ 200 people. My husband Prabhu Neipaul and I both work very hard. Prabhu is very proficient in music. I thought he would become a very skillful music director. But he is looking after production work, simultaneously acting in serials. My children Keerthana, Rithnika and Aarya are all very talented. They are very good in studies, at the same time, they are helping us too. I should make special mention about Keerthana. She joined the screenplay section in Film Academy in New York, U. S. and had won gold medal for her work. The script for our serial ‘Abhirami’, telecast on Jaya TV, was written by her. She’ll definitely become a skilled scriptwriter for movies as well as television programs.
All the members of our family have signed for donating our body after death. It is better that our body becomes useful for some purpose even after our death; we don’t want to render it useless. Padmini deserves salute for her noble and philanthropic thinking and deed.
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