Kavitha runs a wayside eatery to eke out a livingIf you live in a decent city like Thiruvananthapuram, much less a metropolis, you probably see someone like Kavitha Lakshmi every day. Having fallen on hard times, Kavitha runs a wayside eatery to pay off her debts. On those days when she gets lucky, her big stainless steel canister of dosa batter finishes off pretty fast. All other days, she waits until midnight to wrap up her business, sporting a faded salwar kameez and a welcome smile.
Most people who pass by someone like her on the street wouldn't stop to take note of the desperation in her eyes, or the damage fate has done to a once-beautiful woman whose face has weathered the elements in the worst way. And, if you're like a good deal of her regular customers, you probably wouldn't realize that the woman in question was a serial actress.
But the other day, as Kavitha was busy pouring a ladle full of dosa batter onto the griddle at her modest eatery, one of her customers in waiting noted the familiar face of the unassuming street-food hawker. He immediately realized that the woman who was making him dosa was none other than the actress who played the role of Chala Mary’s daughter-in-law, Shantha, in popular sitcom Streedhanam.
After confirming his finding, the tech-savvy customer videotaped Kavitha's plight and put it up on his Facebook page. The video has been going viral on social media ever since it was uploaded. Comments have been pouring in as many couldn't believe their eyes.
But how did a busy actress like Kavitha tumble into obscurity despite years of success? Kavitha opens up to Onmanorama.
“I was pretty much happy and contented in life. But everything went topsy-turvy in no time. I am a single mom of two – a boy and a girl. We have been living in Neyyattinkara for the past 10 years. Once I accompanied one of my friends to a travel agency for her daughter’s admission to a university abroad. The travel agency authorities casually asked me about my children. My son had just completed a diploma course in hotel management then.
“They told me about the many prospects that a place like the UK holds out for my son. They said the proprietor of the agency had three hotels in the UK and that they would arrange for a work and study facility for my son. They also promised me that he will be admitted for a four-year course and will earn 10 pounds an hour doing part-time jobs.
“We just had to pay a fee of Rs 1 lakh per month. At that time, it was not a big amount for us. Besides, I had my friends and relatives to help. So, without thinking much, I sent my son off to the UK,” she said.
'I have no qualms about doing this kind of jobs', says KavithaApparently, the UK trip turned out nothing like Kavitha and her son were promised. The annual fee for the course had to be paid up in six months and her son couldn’t earn much doing odd jobs.
“Had we known this, I would have never sent my son to the UK. Except for production controller Manoj Poonkunnam and film producer Dinesh Panicker, no one in the film serial field helped us.
“To tide over the financial crisis, we opened a granite showroom and tried getting loans from various banks but in vain. Finally, we had to shut down that shop.
Kavitha with her co-stars at a shooting location"I have no qualms about doing this kind of jobs; I am ready to even work in a hotel. I have arthritis. I also have heart complaints. But that's not a problem. I am more worried thinking about my daughter’s future," words choked in her throat.
Kavitha doesn’t know many people from the film field. But she had met Mammootty on the sets of the film Thappana. Apparently, she got a chance to dub in the film Ustad Hotel after Mammootty's recommendation. Kavitha was all praises for Lal Jose too. He behaves very cordially, she said. “But they are all very busy people. It is not possible to meet them personally and ask for help."
Kavitha hopes that some kind-hearted people will come forward to help her son complete his studies. "By the grace of God, I've got two serials now," she says.
A customer videotaped Kavitha's plight and put it up on his Facebook pageKavitha’s eatery is close to NIMS hospital in Neyyattinkara. The actress is sometimes assisted by her friends and cousins.
"If you check my loan payment history, you will see that I have not defaulted even once. These things can happen to anyone," her words echoed positivity.
