Amritha Venketakrishnan’s fondest memories of summer vacations were the days she spent at her father’s office: Hindustan Trading Company (HTC). “I used to fetch colours with just their code numbers from the warehouse attic, and I remember being small enough to fit through the narrow stairs, crouching down to get the desired poster colours or Indian ink customers asked for,” says the third generation proprietor who has been running the store — that turns 50 on October 25 — after her late father PN Venketakrishnan’s health started deteriorating in 2010.

Read more |Chennai’s largest art store Hindustan Trading Company enters its 50th year

“I will never forget getting to sit in the cash counter and give customers their change,” says Amritha, “It was something I took great pride in doing right.”

Over the past few years, 35-year-old Amritha has transformed the originally 300 sq ft HTC into a 6,000 sq ft plus retail space across three floors that not only stocks professional art supplies, stationary, craft material, but also a space for art workshops. 

Amritha Venketakrishnan with her late father PN Venketakrishnan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

To commemorate the company turning 50, she has collaborated with city-based stationery brand Endless to launch a special edition teal shimmer ink, and will also launch an artist bag designed by the enterprise in collaboration with Kerala-based stationery brand, Lilorosh. “We’re also having a three-day sale, and a pottery session for children at Deepam, an NGO,” she says. 

But the launch Amritha is most excited about is the documentary on HTC and her father, and will be releasing the trailer on October 25. “The essence of the film is going to be my father, his struggles, his way of interacting with customers and how he built this brand up from scratch. Even today, people come back because he treated them with kindness and almost like family,” she says of the film that features artists such as Thota Tharani, Door Santhanam, Mark Rathinaraj, Sandiya Gopinath, among others from the art fraternity.

Hindustan Trading Company’s store | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Amritha explains how many artists say that her father gave them credit, and provided them with supplies when they were in dire need, telling them to pay him back when they could. “Every one of the stories in the documentary have a common theme and one of them said it best: He’s like a jackfruit, hard on the outside, but sweet on the inside.”

A lot has been written about PN Venketakrishnan the businessman, but Amritha’s focus is on his role as a father first. “He did his best in that role too, and tried to give me the best education. Funnily enough, the way he got me admission into Church Park was because he used to supply notebooks to the school,” she laughs. “Aside from his passion to work hard, I cherish his deep love for connections and people, and how he did everything to make the customer have complete confidence in their purchase.”

A workshop at HTC | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Qualities Amritha has taken forward too. “When I joined the business, my father was clear that I should do it all — stocking, billing, purchase, accounting. Just because I was the boss’s daughter didn’t mean I could coast my way. I had to work hard and prove my worth, which I did eventually,” concludes Amritha.