7th April is the birthday of a feisty soul – Parvathy Thiruvoth Kottuvata, a well established actress of Indian cinema. In her 13 years long career, that spans over four languages including a Bollywood film, she has done 23 films. She’s a proud feminist who walks the talk. A gifted speaker, her interviews are laced with honest disposition and clarity of thoughts. She’s the first ever Indian actor to win Best Actor award at International Film Festival of India.
My first tryst with Parvathy on celluloid was witnessing her as Pooja in Notebook (Malayalam). She played an ambitious, practical teenager who valued her career, life and her family’s safety over friendship, justice and righteousness. Almost a decade later, I see a woman who has thrown her flourishing career away, gets rape and death threats daily via social media trolls and has put her peaceful life in line for friendship, justice and righteousness. Perhaps the most beautiful irony I’ve witnessed in life.
In Notebook, her second film, I saw her potential when she was attuned to the nuances of the grey shade her character held. But somehow I didn’t expect to see her much on the big screen after that; or worse see her limited to second lead roles. And yes she did toil a bit before establishing herself as the most promising talent of the industries she worked in, especially in Mollywood.
She became a sensation with Kaanchanamala, the eternal lover of a real life tragic love story, in the film Ennu Ninte Moideen (Malayalam). She won several accolades and adulation for the film.
Her RJ Sarah in Bangalore Days (Malayalam) allowed her to win more hearts; the partially paralysed girl who out beats her physical limitation and becomes a radio jockey, motivational speaker and even seeks love without bars was safe in her hands.
In the film Take Off (Malayalam) she’s Sameera, a nurse who struggles with debts on her family, divorce, a son and an unfortunate life incident. The film is based on the ordeal of Indian nurses in Iraq, 2014. Her character is loosely based on Marina Jose who played an instrumental role in the rescue operation. Her performance in the film is hard hitting and unforgettable. She won National Award Special Mention for this role.
Birthday girl is going to grace the screen this year with two powerful films and characters. Uyare (Malayalam) has her playing an acid attack survivor and in Virus (Malayalam) which is based on the nipah virus that shook Kerala, she plays a pivotal role.
When I think of her, the words that come to my mind are bold (in her choices), sensible (in her outlook and repartees) and fearless (to stand for the right). Parvathy and controversies have been best buddies for a long time now. A woman with a spine, tongue and attitude is a dangerous combination and Parvathy is one.
When she speaks, she speaks her truth, her opinions and never hesitated in calling out the wrong attitudes and practises. She has always proved her fight is not against one person or a group of people but against attitudes and approaches. When she spoke up about the existence of casting couches in film industry or when she voiced against how cinema kind of perpetuates misogyny with their ‘heroic’ dialogues or when she scratched the caste surname from her identity, she won bouquets and brickbats with equal fervour. Online trolls went into a frenzy of slut shaming, threats of varied kinds but that never stopped her. She took a break from social media when it was too much to handle but continued to work for what she believed in.
When one of her colleagues went through the worst trauma of sexual harassment and decisively took the legal route, Parvathy along with some other likeminded colleagues joined hands to support the survivor. They formed Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) to address the rights and injustices meted out to women in the industry. She’s been an active member of the organization and bravely voiced out against the Mollywood industry. Despite constant and persistent social media attacks, the lack of interest, disdain and pregnant silence on the part of other colleagues, both men and women, to voice against the injustice, dwindling and drying up work opportunities, Parvathy along with her WCC members still strive for their basic rights. The anger, grief, disappointment is channelled into determination, persistence and fearlessness.
It’s not easy to lend your voice to bring about a change, because there’s more to lose than gain. Her performances have been enthralling and so has her grit to stand for the right. She’s today an actor par excellence and an inspiring human being. Happy Birthday Parvathy, wishing a great year ahead on and off screen, may you thrive as an actor and a human being in years to come.
Adhiti's Musings & Books 