The genius who created Kuttichathan

KOCHI: ‘’Don’t make me sad, you must come.’’  This is what Navodaya Appachan told advocate Ramnath (Master Aravind) the last time the young star of the landmark film My Dear Kuttichathan met the former. Master Aravind, then 11, who played the nostalgic role of  ‘Kuttichathan’ is  an advocate at the Kerala High Court.Appachan recalled  this when he invited Aravind for a function at the re-release of the film in 2011. “At first, I refused to attend. But he insisted that I should attend and he himself picked me up from my home.He owed his part in the epoch-making film to the late producer’s influence.‘’If there wasn’t a person like Appachan, I would not have been in such a great film which is part of the Indian film history. Even after 30 years of the release of that film, I am often introduced as ‘Kuttichathan.’ That is the charm that the character and the film exercised in the minds of the people. I have only fond memories of him,’’ Aravind said. It was Appachan who insisted that Aravind should play the role of ‘Kuttichathan’. “Since I had acted in two films prior to Kuttichathan, I was overburdened with publicity as a child actor and I did not want to act any more. When he contacted my parents, I resisted. “But he tactfully foiled my attempts to escape from acting. Finally, I played a trick and said that I had annual exams. “He  contacted the management of my school and got permission to take me to the location,’’ reminisced Aravind.