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At 71, Viji Venkatesh isn’t just breaking into the Malayalam film industry. She is also a cornerstone of the cancer care community in India, bringing nearly 35 years of experience to the field.

Fondly known as Ummachi by many, Viji Venkatesh recently made her cinematic debut in ‘Paachuvum Albuthavilakkum’, (which means Pachu and the Magic Lamp), alongside renowned actor Fahadh Faasil under the direction of Akhil Sathyan. 

But there’s more to her story. Currently serving as the Region Head for India and South Asia at The Max Foundation, a non-profit organisation, Venkatesh constantly works towards the mission of providing access for cancer patients around the world to high-impact medicines. 

Venkatesh grew up in a typical household in Delhi. After completing an undergraduate course in English, she got married in 1974. She then moved to Mumbai (then Bombay), which she believes was completely different from Delhi. 

“The city allowed me to find some sense of belonging and freedom, along with the courage to pursue my interests. My husband, too, supported me in this journey. One might know how difficult it would be to find a job in the late 80’s, especially with a degree in English. It wasn’t an easy feat. However, my path took a different turn when I drew myself to work towards cancer advocacy,” she says. 

Towards cancer care

Since 2002, Venkatesh has served at The Max Foundation, leading the administration of the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP) and playing a key role in the management of the local Novartis Oncology Access (NOA) Program. However, Venkatesh says she didn’t need a cancer story to advocate on fighting against the disease. 

“Many people ask what motivated me to do so. I do not have a cancer story. I felt a calling to contribute to a nonprofit organisation dedicated to raising funds for cancer patients. I began to raise funds by gaining support from businesses and institutions in Mumbai,” Venkatesh explains. 

Venkatesh, along with her team members at the organisation witnessed the plight of factory workers — who were earning salaries of Rs 1,500 a month, who were indulging in tobacco habits, one of the major causes of cancer.

“During the early days of my profession, I went to a nearby British Council library and picked up all the books I could find on cancer. I studied them and attempted to convince the welfare or labour officer in the factory to talk to the union leaders, so that I could educate them about the harmful effects of tobacco through lectures and discussions. In India, the most common cancers are oral, breast, cervical, all three can be detected very early,” Venkatesh explains. 

The team began visiting banks and corporate offices, where several doctors also volunteered their free time to hold early detection camps at workplaces.

“I was deputed to set up a preventive oncology department at Tata Memorial Hospital. In three years, I learned everything about cancer. It was a ‘temple of learning’, where I collaborated with brilliant minds. Some of those doctors are now directors of hospitals,” she added. 

Headquartered in Seattle, The Max Foundation was established in 1997 to help families with children diagnosed with leukaemia gain access to education and support.

In 2001, the organisation partnered with the pharma giant Novartis to develop and administer the Glivec International Patient Assistance Program, providing cancer treatment to patients in more than 70 low- and middle-income countries. 

Life as Ummachi

No makeup, lipstick, kajal, or nose ring or silver bangles —Venkatesh had to bid goodbye to her ‘signature style’ in the sets of her first movie.  And yet, she gracefully owned her new, natural look. 

Her role goes beyond the typical portrayal of a mother figure, challenging stereotypes, where an independent elderly woman defies societal norms. It all began one day when Venkatesh received a message on Instagram through a casting director from Akhil’s team for a feature film. 

“I use social media a lot. Akhil and his team saw a photograph of mine on Instagram. The photograph was similar to the brief the director had given, for the launch for this character of ‘Ummachi’. So they called and asked if I would be interested in acting in a Malayalam film. I said I have a full-time job, and my Malayalam is bad. You know, no one expects to be offered a role at this age, so I really didn’t give too much thought,” Venkatesh tells HerStory.  

Venkatesh then met Akhil at a cafe in Mumbai to discuss more on the role. “He’s a delightful young man who’s so passionate and energetic! After hearing the story and the role, I said yes,” Venkatesh explains. 

Soon after, the team helped Venkatesh improve her Malayalam speaking skills and made it easy for her to act, even though she had no prior experience.

“While shooting one of my first scenes for the movie with  Fahadh Faasil, I was at a loss for words. Post the shoot, Fahadh came up to me and said ‘Hi, I am Fahadh..’, to which I  said, ‘Of course I know you are Fahadh!’, she says. 

Venkatesh shares that despite making so many mistakes, the team was supportive throughout the shoot. 

The actress has received a couple of offers for other movies and has recently signed up for a movie with director Jayaraj, well known for his movies Ottaal (2015), Veeram (2016) and Bhayanakam (2018).

Chai for cancer awareness

Venkatesh also leads Chai for Cancer, an awareness and fundraising campaign that supports cancer patients in India. Now in its tenth year, the campaign is an effort to host informal tea parties or Chai Addas, to bring together donors and supporters of the cause. 

She also came up with the slogan “Drink To A Cause” to associate cancer with a cup of chai, an everyman’s drink, to create comfort and normalcy around the feared condition. 

“Today, there are a lot of new advancements and treatments. It’s all available but it is not accessible to patients.  In most countries, patients don’t get much support from the government for access to insurance policies. We want to raise awareness and provide funding to support those seemingly small yet crucial needs of patients, which might otherwise hinder their access to treatment,” she says. 

“Cancer can be cured, cancer is manageable, but you need finances for that. We are on par with Western technology here. But sheer numbers and the fact that in our country with cancer being detected at a very late stage, shows there’s a lot of stigma and discrimination attached to it,” she added. 

She stresses that when someone passes away from cancer, people often say they “lost the battle to cancer,” but she believes this isn’t accurate at all.

Six months ago, Venkatesh lost her husband after battling cancer.

“I had no idea. By the time he was diagnosed, he lived for five weeks after the diagnosis. And I come from a privileged background. I had access to the best doctors. I was able to do everything that my husband needed at the time. But that wasn’t enough,” she says. 

However, this didn’t deter Venkatesh from persevering in her fight against the disease or pursuing her passions later in life.

“Listen to your heart. Do what your gut tells you to do. Be fearless. People look at you the way you look at yourself. The power to make you happy, or even unhappy — keep that power with yourself. And you have to not be intimidated when opportunities come to you — take that chance,” Venkatesh says.