Jaycey Foundation plans to honour those who worked in Malayalam film ‘Lottery Ticket’

Lottery Ticket, a multi-starrer Malayalam film, was a bumper hit in the seventies. The film, which released on November 30, 1970, completed 50 years in 2020. Produced by the late TE Vasudevan and directed by AB Raj, the film is now being celebrated by Kochi-based Jaycey Foundation, which is planning a live ceremony later this year.

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The Foundation plans to honour lyricist Sreekumaran Thampi and actors like GK Pillai, Sheela and Sreelatha Namboothiri, who were part of its cast.

“Since 2005, the Foundation, in the name of producer and actor Jaycee, has been celebrating Malayalam films that completes 50 years by honouring its cast and crew in novel ways. We also give away film awards in different categories such as the best male and female actor for contemporary cinema,” says JJ Kuttikad, Jaycey’s son.

However, the pandemic and lockdown forced the organisers to postpone the function to felicitate those who had worked in Lottery Ticket.

A still from ‘Kandam Becha Kottu’, which was honoured by Jaycey Foundation when it completed 50 years of its release  
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“As a gesture of goodwill, I bought lottery tickets of the Vishu bumper organised by the Government of Kerala and sent it to all those who were involved in the film in one way or the other. The lottery is worth ₹10 crore and the draw is likely to take place only after the lockdown is lifted,” he explains.

The Government of Kerala established a lottery department, the first in India, in September 1, 1967. Over the years, the sale of tickets became an income earner for many, including physically-challenged persons. The film Lottery Ticket was based on this new phenomenon that had caught the people’s imagination.

KR Vijaya made her début in Malayalam cinema in ‘Manavatty’, the script of which was written by Ashwathy Mathan. Jaycey Foundation felicitated the actors and crew of the film.  
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The Foundation was formed in 2004 after Jaycey passed away on April 10, 2001. In 2005, Newspaper Boy, released in 1955, was honoured. Considered the first neo-realistic movie in Malayalam, it was directed by the late P Ramadas. Sathyan-Ragini-starrer Nairu Pidicha Pulivalu, released in 1958, was celebrated in Kochi in 2010. “What was special was that the sound engineer of the film was K Viswanathan, who later directed the super hit movie Sankarabharanam,” says Kuttikad.

Kandam Becha Kottu, the first colour film in Malayalam cinema released in 1961, was honoured when it completed five decades. Kannum Karalum, Kamal Haasan’s first film in Malayalam. Manavatty, KR Vijaya’s debut in Malayalam, Inapraavagul, Sharada’s debut in Mollywood ,and Murappennu, MT Vasudevan Nair’s first screenplay, were among the films that were honoured in the past.

Jaycey had acted with Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Sheela and Sharada in ‘Adimakal’. The film’s golden jubilee was celebrated by Jaycey Foundation  
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Ezhu Rathrikal was selected in 2018 as Jaycey had acted as its hero. “Then followed Adimakal, in which Jaycey had acted with Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Sheela and Sharada. This year we plan hold the function to celebrate Lottery Ticket in Thiruvananthapuram, provided we are able to overcome the hurdles posed by the pandemic,” he says.