M. M. Ramachandran, better known as Atlas Ramachandran, was an Indian jeweler, film producer, and actor. He was the chairman of Atlas Jewellery and is known for the tagline of his jewelry, “Janakodikalude Vishwastha Sthapanam”. He produced and distributed films under the banner “Chandrakanth Films”.
Bio/Wiki |
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| Full Name | Mathukkara Moothedath Ramachandran |
| Real name | M M Ramachandran |
| Profession(s) | Film Producer, Jeweller, Actor |
| Famous for | Being the chairman of Atlas Jewellery |
Physical Stats & More |
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| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 170 cm in meters- 1.70 m in feet & inches- 5’ 7” |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black (half bald) |
Career |
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| Debut | Film (Malayalam; As a producer): Vaisali (1988)
Film (Malayalam; As a distributor): Anantha Vruthantham (1990) Film (Malayalam; As an actor): Youth Festival (2010) as Jose Thomas |
Personal Life |
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| Date of Birth | 31 July 1942 (Friday) |
| Birthplace | Thrissur, Kingdom of Cochin, British Raj (now Kerala) |
| Date of Death | 2 October 2022 |
| Place of Death | Aster Hospital, Mankhool, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Age (As of 2024) | 81 Years of 2024 |
| Death Cause | Heart Attack |
| Zodiac sign | Leo |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Kerala, India |
| College/University | • St. Thomas College, Thrissur, Kerala • Delhi School of Economics, New Delhi |
| Educational Qualification | • Bachelor of Commerce from St. Thomas College, Thrissur, Kerala • Master in Economic Studies from Delhi School of Economics, New Delhi |
| Ethnicity | Malayali |
| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
| Controversy | Arrested in a Fraud Case In 2015, he was arrested in a financial fraud case in Dubai. He was sentenced to three-year imprisonment there. After completing his tenure in jail, he was released in 2018. |
Relationships & More |
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| Marital Status (at the time of death) | Married |
Family |
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| Wife/Spouse | Indira Ramachandran |
| Children | Son- Srikanth Ramachandran Daughter- Manju Ramachandran |
| Parents | Father- V. Kamalakara Menon (poet) Mother- Name Not Known |
| Siblings | He was the third of eight children of his parents and the second son. |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Atlas Ramachandran
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Atlas Ramachandran was an Indian film producer, jeweler, and actor. He was known for his jewelry brand ‘Atlas Jewellery.’
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He belonged to a well-to-do family.
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After completing his graduation, he shifted to Delhi from Kerala to make his career in banking. There, he joined Canara Bank.
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After working there for a few years, he joined the State Bank of India as a probationary officer. He then worked with the State Bank of Travancore. He was appointed as the superintendent of more than 100 branches.
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In 1974, he got an offer to work as an international division manager at the Commercial Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait.
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There, he observed that the demand for gold was at par. In 1981, he decided to start his first Atlas jewelry showroom in Souk Al Watya, Kuwait. Within six months of its opening, it started receiving good profits. He then opened five more showrooms there. He kept the tagline of his store ‘janakodikalude vishwsthasthapanam’ (trusted enterprise of millions of customers) which became very popular.
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In the 1990s, during the Gulf War, he suffered major losses in Kuwait, so he decided to restart his business in the United Arab Emirates. He even introduced mega-offers in the regional gold trade. He then became the brand ambassador and face of his jewellery brand. He also lent his voice to the advertisement of the same.
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He was elected as the first Chairman of the Gold Promotion Committee of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). He served the position for three years. Some of the other positions he served were:
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Secretary of Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group for its first six years
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Key founding member of the Abu Dhabi Gold & Jewellery Group
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Editor of the film magazine Chalachithram
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Vice President of Malayalam Film Producers Association
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Atlas was also involved in various philanthropic activities. He started scholarship programs for various schools in Kerala.
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After his successful career as a jeweller, he started a film production and distribution company ‘Chandrakanth Films.’ Atlas collaborated with many popular brands for brand promotion. Some of his popular promotions included:
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ATLAS Golden Harvest with Malayala Manorama
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ATLAS Read & Win with Gulf News
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ATLAS Gold Rush with Radio 4 FM
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ALTAS Golden Olympics with Khaleej Times
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ATLAS Golden Take-off & ATLAS Golden Holidays with Air India
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ATLAS Coupon Promotion with Bank of India
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He worked as a producer in many Malayalam films such as ‘Vasthuhara’ (1991), ‘Dhanam’ (1991), and ‘Sukrutham’ (1994).
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Some of his films as a distributor are ‘Innale’ (1990), ‘Kauravar’ (1992), ‘Venkalam’ (1993), and ‘Chakoram’ (1994).
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Atlas also worked as an actor in many Malayalam films like ‘Anandabhairavi’ (2007), ‘Malabar Wedding’ (2008), ‘3 Char Sou Bees’ (2010), and ‘Balyakala Sakhi’ (2014).
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In 2016, he played the role of Shaji Kallur in the Malayalam telefilm ‘Meghangal.’
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On 2 October 2022, he passed away after a major heart attack. At the time of his death, he was residing in Dubai.