Life wouldn’t have been what it is if it wasn’t for Archana’s father and her two uncles, who AGS cinemas is named after. She owes her success to the pillars of her life- her father, two uncles, husband and her 7 year old son. After finishing her Masters degree in the US, she joined her father and uncles in the family business of film production and distribution. They knew she had entrepreneurship written all over her and much to their expectations, she created a business plan and opened the first AGS cinemas in Villivakkam. From her very first project to her recent distribution assignment for Kabali, she has had her A-game on throughout. She is now the proud CEO of the successful theater chain in Chennai.
Tell us about your experience working in the theatre business.
I started when I was 23 years old, which was a slight disadvantage -also because I’m a woman. The industry doesn’t take you seriously enough initially. Also, the theater business wasn’t as organized as it is now. It was a big risk at that time. But my uncles and my father had my back and let me have a completely free hand at establishing it. They are my role models. If you see the logo of AGS, the line connects all three letters, that’s how they are in real. They are united.
After production and distribution, the next step was exhibition. Sathyam and Mayajaal were the only multiplexes in the city and we decided to fill the gap with AGS cinemas. We demolished the Royal theater in Villivakkam and built the multiplex AGS Royal Villivakkam. That is when we realized that building a cinema hall wasn’t as easy – getting approvals, the right team et al. Then we opened the next one at OMR. The third property recently opened at G N Chetty Road.Our model is a little different than the other chains – we own all our properties. We build it from scratch because we believe in end-to-end management; from cleanliness to the complete user experience is controlled by us.
Did life change after marriage? Or after having a baby?
Since the very beginning, I was never treated like a girl. I come from a background where women have always been treated in par with men. So when marriage was on the cards, they knew I needed a companion who shared the same views and ideologies as I did.I had an arranged marriage when I was 23 and I married somebody who is very independent. He is my strength in every possible way. The good part about all the influential men in my life is that none of them ever expect me to conform to any rules. My husband is a hands on guy, even when my son was born, we took equal hours in a day to take care of him so that both of us got our time for our respective businesses. So, I have been blessed.
How does a typical day at work pan out for you?
I wake up early to get my son ready for school. Then I my husband and I have our morning coffee together, as we discuss our work and our schedules. We aren’t involved in each other’s business at all. He is my sounding board and I am his, so we de-stress with a cup of coffee every morning.Once he leaves for work, I have my session of working out. I am at work by 9:30 am. We follow an open office system at work, there are no cubicles. So, everything is transparent at the workplace. After the core operations, finances and new project updates are seen through; I make sure I visit all three properties. I am very meticulous and I like attention to detail. Since it is a customer-facing business, quality and cleanliness is very important. So, the visits are to look into matters of maintenance, quality check and basic operations on the ground. I don’t profess hierarchy. When I’m at the theater, you will see me selling tickets, or at the snack bar getting popcorn ready. I like to be on the floor.
What’s in the road ahead for AGS Cinemas?
We are in the process of expanding to other cities in Tamil Nadu. Every project is in different stages, one is in its land procurement, one is in its design stage, some need approvals etc. So we are looking at Erode, Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore. We are checking out various properties, so once a week I’m traveling to these places to inspect prospective projects.
Archana is now all set to release her next huge film BIGIL starring Vijay, Nayanthara, Yogi Babu and Jackie Shroff. The film is set to release on October 25th and is one of the most anticipated. But here, she has been the creative producer and has worked on the floor. “It was Vijay sir who wanted me to work on the floor, and be the creative producer. My role was decided during that first meeting,” she said during an interview with The Hindu. She further added, “We were trying for six years, and we were always in touch with him. With Bigil, it fell in place perfectly. We had his dates, and we liked Atlee’s script. It fit into the AGS style of films, as we prefer not doing run-of-the-mill entertainers.”