Happy Birthday Parvathy: A Fighter Onscreen and Off It

A charming presence on screen, and a firebrand advocate for gender equality in the film industry, Parvathy Thiruvothu has been the harbinger of change in Malayalam cinema over the years. Parvathy was perhaps the first female actor in the industry to publicly call out misogyny prevailing in the Malayalam film industry, be it the content of the movies or the patriarchal tendencies in its day-to-day working.

Parvathy voiced her concerns when Mammootty’s Kasaba released in 2016 and requested influential actors like him to avoid doing films like Kasaba which glorifies misogyny and toxic masculinity. This statement attracted trolling from self-proclaimed Mammootty fans, but Parvathy didn’t budge from her stance. She also emerged as a supporter of introducing reforms in the industry via WCC. Her attitude is reflected in the sort of roles she portray in movies — from the fearless Pallavi who refused to give in after facing an acid attack to her performance in Take Off that won her prestigious awards.

Highly selective about the sort of projects she takes up, Parvathy has acted only in 28 movies, across languages and industries, since her debut in 2006. Her filmography doesn’t include the stereotypical heroine roles where the women are supposed to be cheerleaders for the hero, except maybe for Charlie.

She has chosen characters with grit and intelligence who have a mind of their own such as RJ Sara in Bangalore Days and Kanchanamala in Ennu Ninte Moideen, among others. She also proved that it’s important to stand for your views rather than compromise in the industry. She has even said that her opportunities in the industry have dried up since she got involved with WCC, but she didn’t give up.

The collective formed after actor Bhavana was assaulted has helped shine spotlight on issues faced by women working in the industry. Not only does the collective provide a space for women in the industry to speak up against any injustice they are facing, WCC has also been pivotal in pressuring the state government to look into these issues. Parvathy and WCC have been working in silence and made a strong impact when it comes to gender sensitisation within the industry.

After Parvathy’s statement against Kasaba, directors such as Ranji Panicker publicly apologized for glorifying toxic masculinity and misogyny through their movies in the past. A distinct shift was seen in the way films were made in Malayalam industry after that. There were movies with well-rounded female characters who were given equal screen presence as male actors. All these changes happened gradually through the efforts of Parvathy and like-minded individuals. Despite hate and threats she faced, she remained steadfast in her beliefs. Even now she is completely committed to the cause she believes in and it was due to WCC’s constant follow up that has resulted in the implementation of IC on all movie sets.

However, we need to question why a talented actor like Paravathy was denied rightful opportunities when she is at the peak of her career because she took on patriarchy. Now, as she plays the lead role with Mammootty in the movie Puzhu, it is clear that change has come slowly but steadily to the Malayalam film industry._(The Indian Express)