After hosting some of the biggest names from the world of entertainment, The Indian Express series Expresso is back with its 15th edition. This time, the spotlight is on award winning actor Parvathy Thiruvothu, who joined us for a candid conversation at the Taj Connemara in Chennai.
During the session, Parvathy spoke about her journey in cinema, her approach to choosing films, the responsibilities that came with becoming an activist, the gaps that continue to exist in female representation across the film industry, and more.
Talking about the stereotypes that continue to define female characters in Indian cinema, Parvathy Thiruvothu said, “We see a mother; the mother template is one. We see a best friend; the best friend template is one. We see a lovable woman. Trust me, I played the lovable woman for many years, for over a decade, before I got the good feminist roles. So the idea of that woman in the story is that her only dramatic need is to fall in love. There seems to be nothing else plaguing her. There seems to be no worry about her work, or her family, or her health. There seems to be nothing she’s obsessed with except the fact that the man loves her. And I think anytime we bring in the career aspect of a woman, or something else she’s interested in, she’s immediately made into an unlikable woman, not exactly a desirable woman.”
She further added, “Women are flawed too, beautifully so. But the moment we say that, suddenly it’s, ‘She’s a negative character. She has gray shades,’ and she’s villainised. So I think these kinds of cliché generalisations of women are very belittling, to say the least.”
Also Read – ‘Forces tried to eliminate me’: Parvathy on losing big films, facing death, rape threats
Parvathy also weighed in on the evolving role of women in the film industry, both behind the scenes and on screen. While the actor welcomed the growing number of opportunities for women, she stressed that meaningful representation remains a work in progress. “There are tokenistic approaches to hiring women. I would still take that over nothing. We do need our foot in the door to make some changes. But what we’re missing out on is representation of characters, be it a man, a woman, or any person who’s writing them.”
Known for speaking her mind and fighting for the rights of women in the film industry, Parvathy Thiruvothu admitted that activism was never something she had consciously set out to embrace. Instead, she believes it found her. Parvathy said, “As an activist, I wasn’t given a choice. I had to take on the role of being an activist. Initially, I didn’t want that tag. But once I surrendered to it, I understood why. Some of us are just chosen for it. Not a lot of people actually choose that for themselves. It’s not exactly a bed of roses to walk on.”
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She added, “But now that I see it from a completely different perspective, and with the knowledge that it’s not really about you, it’s not all about vanity, that’s really humbling. Even as you’re an activist and speaking up, you realise it could have been someone else fighting for you. It just happens to be you fighting for someone else. The cards can shift at any point.”
Speaking about what’s next, Parvathy shared her thoughts on her upcoming film I, Nobody. The actor described it as much more than a conventional heist film, saying it explores questions of identity and power.
“So the intriguing element starts even from the title itself. It’s the kind of film that speaks to that space of identity for an ordinary person who makes up society. It is, for me, less about an actual heist. I feel like it would be limiting to put it only in that genre. I think it’s a reflection on the current power structures, how the ‘nobodies’ are actually not nobodies. You’d better be aware of them, because if they realise their power, they’re going to put those power structures to rest very quickly.”
Missed the event in Chennai? The conversation with Parvathy Thiruvothu will stream on The Indian Express and SCREEN’s YouTube channels from 6 pm on July 5. This edition of Expresso was presented by AU Small Finance Bank in association with Taj Connemara Chennai, with BMW (KUN Exclusive) as the mobility partner.
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Over the years, Expresso has emerged as a prominent platform for in-depth conversations with leading figures from Indian entertainment and culture. Previous editions have featured an impressive lineup of guests, including Ricky Kej, Anil Kapoor, Shilpa Rao, Huma Qureshi and Shefali Shah, Anupam Kher, Richa Chadha and Kabir Khan, Randeep Hooda and Hansal Mehta, Pankaj Tripathi, Kajol and Kriti Sanon, Javed Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali and Taapsee Pannu, as well as Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi.
