Taking the small screen big-time

She was one of Tamil television’s original golden girls — someone who endeared the audience to everything she attempted on-screen or on radio — be it interviewing a superstar celeb, heating up a cooking show with her charisma, or indulging in her love for sport on the field. But the enigmatic Mamathi Chari, who truly was one of the first Tamil anchors to glam up the small screen, suddenly took a hiatus post marriage, and had missing ever since, thanks to her many other entrepreneurial pursuits.

But now she’s back! Viewers were pleasantly surprised to see the leggy, wise-cracking presenter back to her antics again at the TNPL, and at a couple of exclusive gatherings in and around the city recently. Mamathi says, with a grin, “Yes, I was an erstwhile entrepreneur and businessperson for a while, and media took a backseat. But I’m not in the business of business anymore! I’m a sportsperson, a musician, a polyglot, avid traveler, and of course, an anchor and emcee. It’s exciting to be in the thick of things again.”

Why did the sabbatical from the limelight happen though? “I was running two ventures as well as a family! Then my marriage ended in a divorce… you know, I’m someone who has always believed that a husband is someone who is part of the journey — not the journey itself. Now, my aim is to pass my time well and indulge in things I love,” she replies.

Mamathi, who’s also done cameos in films, takes pride in the fact that all the spoken content for any show she’s done, has always been generated by her — but with the advent of digital media tapping the Tamil market in a big way today, will things change? “It’s impressive yes, all the web-series and social media content, but I firmly believe that television will always have an audience, irrespective of other mediums advancing. But it’s truly fascinating how filmmaking and TV presenting has evolved — there’s so much tech involved, drone cameras, the like... it’s pretty mental,” she explains.

Open to both movie and media offers now, Mamathi concludes saying that there’s always been one person in the industry she was compared to — “I know it’s funny, but I always wanted to like the Superstar! In fact, my nickname was ‘Lady Rajinikanth’ amongst my colleagues for the longest time! Go figure.”