Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu has proved to us that she does not wish to be a passive player when it comes to fighting the patriarchy. She is not only vocal about the things around her that she sees as unfair, but she also truly owns the responsibility that comes with fame. In an actors round table with Anupama, she recently gave us all a reminder of her fierce self.
Here are five times she showed us how to fight the wrong ideas, and how to hold your head high when things go wrong.
1. Calling Out Mammootty
Parvathy is someone who called out Malayalam superstar Mammootty for his role in Kasaba for being extremely misogynistic. In the film he plays a cop who is sexist - he actually responds to a "fuck you" from a senior female police officer by grabbing her by the belt and promising her that she would find it difficult to walk for a week. He also threatens another woman by telling her that he would make her miss her periods. "I was disappointed to watch an actor par excellence mouth dialogues to a woman that were not just derogatory but saddening. Cinema reflects society, many say. But the line to draw is whether to glorify a hero like this or not,'' Parvathy had said at a forum. She was later flooded with innumerable hate messages from Mammootty's fans, including rape threats. Parvathy filed reports against them and even got an abusive fan arrested.
2. Taking on AMMA
It's not just Mammotty, Parvathy also took on several heavyweights of the Malayalam film industry who head the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists or AMMA. Parvathy along with other female actors formed the Women in Cinema Collective, an organization for women working mainly in the Malayalam cinema industry -a first of its kind in the Indian film industry. This Women's Collective was formed after AMMA was accused of protecting actor Dileep who has been charged of being the mastermind in the abduction and assault on an actress. Parvathy spoke out against the decision stating: “The AMMA executive committee has handled the entire issue with extreme duplicity, in a callous manner and with vested interests. Instead of standing up for what is right, they have revealed the deep seated misogynistic bias and have closed ranks on us,” said Parvathy thereby rebelling against the most powerful film association in Kerala.
3. Exposing the Casting Couch
In one of her interviews, a rather candid one at that, Parvati spoke at length about feminism and even spilled the tea on the casting couch in the Malayalam film industry. “There are people in the industry who ask women to sleep with them in order to get a role. I have been asked. They ask very blatantly as if it is their right. I have said NO.” she said. Parvathy is one of the few actors who've openly spoken out about the casting couch in the industry.
4. Calling Out Arjun Reddy
Recently Parvathy sat on a round table with other of actors including Vijay Devarakonda who played the title role of Arjun Reddy, and called him out for having agreed to play a role in a film that glorifies domestic abuse and toxic relationships. "
5. Inspiring With ‘Uyare’
Parvathy has always been clear on wanting to be responsible about the roles she takes up and the cinema she associates herself with. Recently, she proved her point by doing a film titled Uyare, that revolved around the inspiring story of an acid attack survivor.
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