Parvathy: Was told nobody would want me after 25

Parvathy, who fronts the female-led film Wonder Women, on busting industry’s sexist myths over her 16-year career

An actor is like a moong dal packet, with a shelf life.” This was among the scariest things that Parvathy Thiruvothu, then 18, was told on entering the Malayalam film industry. Sixteen years later, she is among the most successful actors in the south movie industry today, happy to turn archaic notions on their head, one film at a time. “[When I joined the movies], everyone said, ‘You are in your 20s. Make a lot of money in the next five years because nobody will want you after you’re 25.’ I am 34, and still here,” she asserts. If it takes a revolution to make the industry realise that talent has little to do with gender and age, Thiruvothu is glad to take charge. “Just making sure I don’t leave the industry is my biggest revolution. Sometimes, the most silent actions can be the [most impactful].”

A still from Wonder Women

Her movies — from Bangalore Days (2014) to Take Off (2017) and Uyare (2019) — reflect the impact and change she bats for. Director Anjali Menon’s English film, Wonder Women, is the latest addition to the list. The SonyLIV film tells the story of six pregnant women, finding strength in each other as they navigate confusion and questions regarding pregnancy and childbirth. “I chose to play Mini because of her personality, her situation, and what happens to her in the end. That transformation was interesting to me, especially as a bit of an introvert.”

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Building a strong filmography across languages over the past decade-and-a-half has given her much joy as an artiste. What has added to her satisfaction is that she did so while holding her own in an industry notorious for its rampant sexism. “When I started, I knew there was a certain power [structure] in the film industry. You get star-struck, and want to keep climbing up. [But] you can’t be happy in a workplace that doesn’t have dignity and fairness. You have to decide there and then if this is how you’re going to lead your life, where you are disrespected over and over again because of your gender.”

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