Amrita TV’s  ‘Innalathe  Tharam’  Becomes A Beacon Of  Hope As it Turns Fifty

Innalathe Tharam is Amrita TV’s singular quest in search of the stars of a bygone era who once lit up the silver screen with their charisma but have since quietly receded into the dark reaches of obscurity.

Innalathe Tharam has gone past 50 episodes, each a unique autobiographical recital that chronicles the despair, the passive acceptance of destiny, or staunch hope for a better future of those who still maintain a ceaseless vigil for ‘chances that will come again’.

Every Sunday at 8 pm for the past many weeks, dozens of former luminaries from Malayalam and Tamil Film fraternity whose face had been misplaced between the pages of our  memory, had appeared  in Innalthe Tharam – T.R Omana, Shanta Devi, Kuttyettathi Vilasini, Kanaka Durga, Bhavani, Kollam Babu, Charmila, Usha Rani etc.

In our recollections, these one time matinee celebrities – mother figures of Malyalam Cinema, character actors who lent fullness to the story, heroes and heroines who kept their tryst with fame- had been stars that shimmered brightly in the glittering world of fantasy and illusion.

But somewhere in the tinsel world of make believe, they lost their way and faded away both from the credit titles and our memories.

Most of the figures who illuminated the scenes of  Innalathe Tharam were shocking caricatures of their former showbiz selves; the faces once plumb with success were streaked with the ravages of time and the shrunken eyes and pallid cheeks had many pathetic tales to narrate.

Innalathe Tharam tracks the stars of the past and portrays their present day lives, recounting the sting of neglect, the lamentable state of existence, the numbing poverty. But this show doesn’t confine itself to mere depiction; it has done its best to relieve the misery and anguish of these veterans who deserve a better deal, by roping in the good offices of  humane souls who were ready to help .The list of  those who received substantial aid through the show keeps getting longer – Rs 2 lakhs to Machadu  Vasanthi, Rs.1-75 Lakhs to Khadeeja, Shantadevi who was gifted Rs 3 lakhs and a house, Kannor Sreelatha who started getting new offers from producers etc.

In the 50th episode, stars who had obtained monetary assistance and other support open their hearts to the viewers. Suresh Gopi, a benevolent person  who had  contributed generously to bail out many in the fraternity; M.A. Baby Honorable Minister who had been instrumental in procuring Governmental aid through  the auspices of Chalachitra; script- writer Razzak etc speak at length about the show and the efforts it had made to lend a helping hand to the unremembered stalwarts of the industry.

Even as the sidelined stars sigh wistfully over the lost spring of their careers , Innalathe Tharam  continues over paths never trodden, into the alleyways of the past in search of more forgotten stars of yesterday whom the Fates had shunted into oblivion.