Atlas Ramachandran

M. M. Ramachandran (31 July 1942 – 2 October 2022), better known as Atlas Ramachandran,[1] was an Indian jeweller, film producer and actor. He was the chairman of Atlas Jewellery and is known for the tagline of his jewellery, "Janakodikalude Vishwastha Sthapanam". He had produced and distributed films under the banner "Chandrakanth Films".[2] Vaisali (1988) and Sukrutham (1994) are the major films that he has produced. He has also acted in few movies notably in Subhadram (2007) in a lead role.

Atlas Ramachandran
Born
M. M. Ramachandran

(1942-07-31)31 July 1942
Mullassery, Kingdom of Cochin
Died2 October 2022(2022-10-02) (aged 80)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
NationalityIndian
Alma materSree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur
Occupations
  • Jeweller
  • film producer
  • actor
TitleChairman of Atlas Jewellery
SpouseIndira Ramachandran
Children2

Early life

Ramachandran was born in Mullassery on 31 July 1942 into a family with a rich cultural and literary background.[1][3] His father, V. Kamalakara Menon (d. 1995), was a poet and there were frequent Akshara Shlokam recitation sessions at his home. Ramachandran was the third of the eight children, and the second son. After acquiring his bachelor's degree in commerce from Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur affiliate to Kerala University, Ramachandran left to New Delhi for work.

Career

In Delhi, Ramachandran started his career in the banking industry. He joined Canara Bank and completed a post-graduate degree in economics from the Delhi School of Economics. Later on, selected as a probationary officer by the State Bank of India, he moved to the State Bank of Travancore where he was a field officer, accountant and manager. By the time he left the bank, he was the superintendent of over 100 branches.

In 1974, he moved to Kuwait City to work for the Commercial Bank of Kuwait.[1] He assumed the post of Administration Manager of the International Division.

Having been convinced of the immense demand for gold ornaments, he opened the first ATLAS showroom in Souk Al Watya in Kuwait.

Kuwait was looted during the Gulf War and Ramachandran experienced a total loss, so he started over in the United Arab Emirates. He introduced the concept of mega-offers in the regional gold trade. From gold bars to luxurious cars, shoppers won generous prizes. ATLAS served well over a million customers. This led to the coining of the now famous slogan, "ATLAS jewellery-Trusted by Millions", with Ramachandran himself serving as the brand ambassador and lending his face and voice for the advertisements.

Philanthropy

Both in his adopted home in the Gulf and in India, his community initiatives include welfare, education, film, literature and music. He gave scores of gold medals in the UAE schools. He also gave scholarships to deserving students of limited means in Kerala. In the same way, customers of Atlas Jewellery were handed over the ornaments selected by them even if they were short of money. He patronised many competitions including reciting the Quran held by the Islamic organisations in the Gulf.[4]

In the United Arab Emirates (as in many Arabian Gulf countries), loans are secured with a signed cheque for the entire loan amount.[5] Loan providers could present this cheque at any time. If a cheque cannot be processed because the account holder has insufficient funds this can be escalated into a criminal matter and debtors jailed to recoup debt.[6] This is contrary to most developed countries where there are no security cheques and these types of issues only result in civil cases. In the Middle East, many business owners quietly leave the country when they face liquidity issues.[7] Ramachandran stayed in the country to resolve his business and legal troubles. However, he was detained by the Dubai Police in August 2015. He sought to have his charges suspended but did not receive bail and was then imprisoned three months later by the Dubai Court.[8] While in prison, his hospitals were sold to repay some loans. However, most jewellery shops simply closed and became insolvent. After nearly three years, he was released in June 2018.[9] There was a major amendment made to UAE Federal Law on 2 January 2022 that decriminalised bounced cheques.[10]

Death

Ramachandran died in a hospital in Dubai on 2 October, 2022 following a cardiac arrest.[11] He was 80.[12][13]

Filmography

Ramachandran ventured into film production and distribution. He was known as Vaisali Ramachandran due to the fame of his debut film production Vaisali, an episode from Mahabharata, which was a classic in the Malayalam film industry. He resigned from the Commercial Bank to focus solely on the jewellery business and motion pictures. At the time of his resignation, he was one of the most highly respected and highly paid bank managers in Kuwait. With his new focus, he either produced or distributed the hit films Sukrutham, Dhanam, Kauravar, Chakoram, Vasthuhara, Innale and Venkalam. A number of his films were selected to Indian Panorama, were critically acclaimed, and won prestigious awards.

Year Title Director Role Notes
1988 Vaisali Bharathan Producer [14]
1990 Anantha Vruthantham P. Anil Distributor
Innale P. Padmarajan Distributor [14]
1991 Vasthuhara G. Aravindan Distributor
Dhanam Sibi Malayil Producer [14]
1992 Kauravar Joshiy Distributor [14]
1993 Venkalam Bharathan Distributor
1994 Sukrutham Harikumar Producer [14]
Chakoram M. A. Venu Distributor [14]
2004 Youth Festival Jose Thomas Actor
2007 Anandabhairavi Jayaraj Actor [14]
Arabikkatha Lal Jose Actor [14]
Subhadram Sreelal Devaraj Actor [14]
2008 Malabar Wedding Rajesh-Faisal Actor [14]
2009 2 Harihar Nagar Lal Actor [14]
2010 Holidays M. M. Ramachandran Director [14]
Thatwamasi Swami Viswa Chaithanya (Sunil) Actor
3 Char Sou Bees Govindankutty Actor
Brahmasthram V. Somanath Actor
2013 Bombay Mittayi Umer Karikkad Actor
2014 Balyakala Sakhi Pramod Payyannur Actor
2016 Daivathinte Kayyoppu Benny Ashamsa Actor
Meghangal (Tele Film) Shaji Kallur Actor

References
  1. "Atlas At A Glance". Atlas Jewellery. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2014 – via atlasera.co.
  2. "Chandrakanth Films". Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  3. "From banker to jeweller, Atlas Ramachandran lived a life full of twists". Onmanorama. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  4. "The fall of Atlas Ramachandran: His wife Indira opens up in a tell-all interview". The News Minute. 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  5. "What is a security cheque?". Mortgage Finder - FAQ. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. https://www.arabianbusiness.com/gcc/uae/jail-works-for-recouping-debt-hsbc-boss-304078
  7. https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/banking-finance/sme-owners-flee-uae-with-unpaid-debts-exceeding-1bn-in-2015-612524
  8. "Atlas Jewellery owner let off after 3 years in Dubai jail". www.deccanchronicle.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  9. "I will rise like a phoenix: Atlas Ramachandran". www.deccanchronicle.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  10. Zakaria, Sherouk. "New UAE law decriminalises bounced cheques: Fines, exceptions; all you need to know". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  11. "CM condoles death of NRI businessman 'Atlas Ramachandran'". The Times of India. 4 October 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  12. "Dubai: Indian businessman Atlas Ramachandran passes away at 80". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on 2 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  13. "Businessman Atlas Ramachandran dies at 80". Onmanorama. 2 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  14. "Businessman Atlas Ramachandran passes away at 80". The New Indian Express. Express News Service. 3 October 2022.
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