I believe we need to learn from our past.
— Parvathy
I don't mind playing a supporting character if it has some substance.
My career has been driven with the hope of telling stories, as it helps me to judge people less.
I grew up watching films that presented male perspectives of women.
I believe that cinema is not only an artistic industry, but there is also a political activity.
I want to make the work space more dignified and safe for women.
I am quite content with my work in Malayalam cinema, and so there was never any reason to look outside for opportunities.
I was not somebody who watched a lot of films. We couldn't afford to. We came from struggling family background.
In the 11 years I've worked in films, I've realised that no one is indispensable, and that has actually been very comforting to know.
I don't feel genres have helped me as an actor. Movies can be of any genre. But if you give me slapstick, I may not do it.
I only do few films, so when one comes out, it is a big deal for me.
I'm not saying I'm perfect. But I'm someone who analyses and reflects on what I do, whether it's in keeping with the ethics that I talk about in public. That's how I've been all my life.
I have worked in films where we just put on the make-up and go in for a shoot without any discussions and even a talk with the director.
I can never go back to a workspace where there's no dignity.
I like it when things come to me; I choose a movie if I know I need to be a part of it.
I think cyberbullying someone who states their opinion, especially a woman, is sadly a norm these days, and it happens daily to not just stars/actors. We have to consistently condemn and shun it so that it never gets the power it doesn't deserve to have over the society.
I have nothing but immense respect for my peers.
I believe that women have the right to wear any attire that suits their comfort. And above all, every individual has the right to wear an attire of their choice, and no one can deny that.
It is important to set an example.
I've been an actor since the age of seventeen.
The only kind of influence I want to be on anyone is by being, constantly and consistently, someone who probes herself at every juncture, improves the way in which she functions as a citizen, and questions the status quo.
Unfairness is everywhere.
For me, talking about the casting couch in the Malayalam film industry was like calling the sky blue. There is nothing new about calling a spade a spade. My intention was not to create an effect; I just wanted to pluck a few weeds in the system and throw them out.
Acting is very anthropological for me. It makes me less judgmental.
My talent is universal, and acting is a craft that can be used anywhere, unless ethnicity comes into play, and then, looks matter.
My mother had sent my picture for a TV contest seeking anchors, and I won.
As an artist, I feel you can have a debut just once.
When I look back, there isn't a single film that I would disown becaus,e with every film, I've learnt a lot.
I will keep repeating it until people get it - misogyny and violence and everything that's bad in our life and society should be reflected in our films. It's the glorification that is wrong.
Working with any senior actor is a learning experience, so getting to work with a thespian like Kamal Hassan was a memorable one.
If you're talking about industry, I've never restricted myself to Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, or Kannada. Whichever the language is, from Swahili to Marathi or Bhojpuri to Bengali, I would be happy to do it.
We need women in cinema to know first that they have a safe space to open up about their struggles without being judged and marginalised.
I believe all of us should have the freedom to have our personal take on how art affects us.
There is such insecurity in loving that we see all the pros and cons and then decide how much we want to invest in relationships.
Bollywood is there; the film industry is thriving, and it's huge, and it's everywhere. Anytime I travel abroad and I say I'm an actor from India, they're like, 'Oh, Bollywood!' And I say, 'Umm, not yet!'
We only fear what we don't understand, and I hate to be scared.
The lack of exposure to right perspective has caused me to be in abusive relationships. When a boy stubbed cigarette on my leg, I thought it was out of love. You know why? Because our films taught us slapping in the face was a way of expressing love.
We should release films without revealing the director's name, as his or her gender would not be a barometer to watch those films.
Survival is not just a physical thing. It's a constant mental affair. So, I kind of really draw a lot of power from that word.
I have worked with big actors, but honestly, I don't judge the viability of a project on the basis of the star value attached to it.
Both my parents are lawyers. They come from humble beginnings.
If you want to do something, you'll find the space to do it.
You can't just skim the surface of any role. You have to find the depths, because any other way would be dishonest.
I have always been arrogantly confident about the work I have done.
The writer and the director are ultimately responsible for what is portrayed and glorified in a film. Then comes the producer.
Sometimes, the actual feeling of loving someone takes a back seat because we are busy defining it.
I longed for people to forget Parvathy and remember my character. That has finally happened in Malayalam.
The 'Qarib' team was energetic with an intimate way of working.
Women haven't stood together enough because women have been pitted against one another.
My humble request to journalists - It only takes one phone call or an email to check facts.
