When father is by your side… Uma on growing older with Mollywood legend Madhu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “Father is a source of courage. At night, we sit and talk. During those moments, I become little Uma again, and he becomes my father from the past. Every night, he tells me something, mostly stories from the past. Our conversations sometimes go on until 1.30 a.m. Only after that do we have dinner.”
The words come from Uma, the only daughter of veteran Malayalam actor Madhu, as she speaks about the quiet moments she shares with her father.

For Uma, those late-night conversations are more than a daily routine. They are a return to an earlier time, when she was simply a daughter listening to her father’s stories.
Madhu has often spoken to her about his own parents, father R Parameswaran Pillai and mother Thankamma. Parameswaran Pillai was the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram and had also taken part in the freedom struggle.
At 93, Madhu continues to enjoy his days at home, according to Uma.

“There are no health problems. He takes low-dose medicines for diabetes and cholesterol. I feel he enjoys every moment,” she says.
His daily routine begins well after noon. “He gets up around 12, and has his first meal at around 1 p.m. It is more like a brunch, combining breakfast and lunch,” she says.
Visitors usually come between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., though Uma does not normally visit during those hours. At times, her one-year-old grandson Trilok drops in to see his great-grandfather.
“When Trilok comes near him, father becomes more energetic,” Uma says.

For Uma, however, her father’s presence means more than the routines of everyday life. Whatever the challenge, she says, talking to him gives her the strength to face it.
Madhu turned 93 on September 23. The family will celebrate his birthday on October 12, which falls on Vishakham. Uma has also arranged offerings at temples to mark the occasion.