K.S. Akhileswara Iyer should find a place in the history of Malayalam cinema as the first man to start an organisation for theatre owners. At a time when the industry is flooded with organisations this name is perhaps long forgotten.
A prominent distributor and producer from 1940 to 1960, Iyer, who belonged to Kaitharam Madom, Kottayam, was popularly known in film circles and among friends as Kaitharam Swamy or Swamy. He maintained a close friendship with the then Diwan of Travancore, Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer.
Sometime during late 1930s Swamy convened a meeting of theatre owners at his residence. The agenda was a discussion on the half-year licences issued to theatre owners by the government. This policy caused a lot of hardship as the theatres remained shut and the projectors idle for six months a year. Swamy felt that this was not helpful for the growth of cinema.
He introduced the idea of annual renewal of licence and briefed the people gathered at the meeting of its benefits. All those who attended the meeting backed the idea. Swamy emphasised the need of an organisation before placing these demands before the government. Thus was born an organisation called the Travancore Cinema Association and Swamy was nominated patron. But it had no other office bearer.
Swamy met the Diwan, who agreed to the proposal and issue orders to extend the licence period to one year. This inspired entrepreneurs to build new theatres in Travancore.
The Travancore Cinema Association later became the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce.
The Kaitharam family were traditionally rich merchants. Swamy deviated into films in the early 1930s. At the age of 22, he went to Bombay to buy a projector and film. In 1932, he started screening films in Alappuzha.
The first year went off well. In 1933, the East India Film Company from Calcutta arrived. They introduced new movies while Swamy kept repeating the old stock. Within two months Swamy was forced to close down his shows.
Swamy shifted base to Madras, where he set up a film distribution firm. He found capital by selling his old projector and the money he saved from the screenings in Alappuzha.
In order to distribute Tamil films in Travancore, Swamy opened an office in Kottayam. This was in a building close to his house and he put up a board that read ‘Swamy’s Films’. The first film that he brought to Travancore was Haridas (Tamil).
It raked a huge profit. Swamy went on to distribute films like Shakuntalai , the one in which M.S. Subbulakshmi acted.
All these films brought him a lot of money. Swamy now decided to produce a Tamil and Malayalam film, both based on the same story. Music composer Vimal Kumar was fixed as director of the Malayalam film. Unfortunately he had to give up this dream half-way.
But Swamy stuck to his passion and produced two Malayalam films later, Yachakan and Manasakshi . Both these film flopped. By then Swamy hit a financial low. His relationship with a Tamil actress also affected his personal life. Swamy’s life hit rock-bottom.
Considering his condition, he was appointed Manager of the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce at the Ernakulam office. To make an added income Swamy used to type out letters for businessmen, producers, lawyers etc.
Later, he left Ernakulam and set up a typewriting institute at Keecheri, near Trichur.
Swamy spent the last days of his life here.
