'Puzhu' actress Parvathy says she never had a problem with Mammootty

Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu, a vocal critic of misogyny and sexism in Indian cinema, and Malayalam superstar Mammootty, will be seen together in upcoming crime thriller Puzhu, which will directly stream on SonyLiv on May 13. The actor, who is one of the founders of the Women in Cinema Collective, admitted in an interview that she didn’t think twice before saying yes to Puzhu and that she had no problems at all signing up a film with Mammootty.

When Parvathy was asked by the media about the ugly controversy that unfolded, after she had called out the blatant misogynistic dialogues in Malayalam superstar Mammootty’s 2016 Kasaba, she clarified again that she never had a problem with the actor.

During a panel discussion at the International Film Festival of Kerala, a few years ago, Parvathy had  openly criticised the film Kasaba and said she had “unfortunately, watched Kasaba and with all due respect to the technicians who worked in the film, she was definitely disappointed to watch an actor (Mammootty) par excellence happen to say dialogues to a woman in a scene which was not only derogatory but most saddening.”

So, when screenwriter Harshad approached her for his Puzhu, he was wary about her reaction of working opposite Mammootty and sharing screen space with him.

Parvathy told a magazine that when Harshad who she knew from before called her, he said that he wanted to make sure before he even narrated the story, if she was going to be okay working with Mammootty in the film.

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“How does that even matter? Who acts in a film was never my concern. He was like, ‘So you don’t have a problem.’ I never had a problem with him. I have been repeating this forever. I am kind of prepared for it and will keep repeating it until it settles,” she told Galatta Plus.

There were very few times she had agreed for a role over the phone. But in this case, without giving out any spoilers, Parvathy said cryptically, “the point I was trying to make during the whole Kasaba statement, this movie is going to prove it. Being part of this project is a win”.

According to the Kerala state award winning actress, the whole Kasaba thing took a toll on a lot of (other) people than her and Mammukka. Her question to everyone is whether they had actually heard what she said? “There is a YouTube video which I can play for you and you will see I never attacked him (Mammootty). The conversation that looms around me a and Mammukka has even taken the shine away from Puzhu. At least that will be put to rest after this film,” she said, according to the report.

Directed by debutant Ratheena PT, the script of Puzhu has been written by Harshad of Unda fame. The movie is bankrolled by Dulquer Salman’s home banner Wayfarer Films.