Film Companion recently hosted Actors Adda, a round table discussion with eight actors who were featured in their list of '100 Greatest Performers of the Decade'. This included Parvathy, Vijay Sethupathi, Vijay Deverakonda, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Manoj Bajpayee, and Ayushmann Khurrana. The discussion was moderated by film critic and Film Companion’s founder Anupama Chopra.
The discussions happened on various subjects, from the presence of actors on social media to their process, and whether they should feel responsible in the films that they choose. On social media though, it is Parvathy's take on the controversial film Arjun Reddy that's gone viral, winning the actor appreciation for speaking her mind.
When asked about her decision to not do films that glorify misogyny, Parvathy said, "It is a very fine line reflecting what's there in the society, showing what misogyny is, and glorifying it. It's entirely up to the writer and director how they glorify it. When a man is being misogynistic and is being...you know...abusive, and you show that in a way that incites applause in the audience, then that's glorification. And at the same time, you make the audience think whether he's done the right thing or not, then there you are collaborating with the audience. There, there is cinema, it's a dialogue."
She then went on to say that she had taken such a stance because she realised that the normalisation of abuse in cinema had made her believe it was alright in real life personal relationships, too.
Manoj Bajpayee, who responded to Parvathy, said that he plays a character for himself and does not think it's an actor's job to think beyond that. Citing the example of Joker, Alia Bhatt said that she'd love to play characters with negative shades because she can't be that in real life, but added that the director of the film had given enough "padding" to show the adult audience that this was a "mentally unstable" character.
This was when Parvathy brought up Arjun Reddy, and said that while the film had the visual grammar of glorification, Joker, according to her, did not. Though Joker too has faced criticism for attempting to glorify the protagonist's violence, Parvathy's view was that while Joker made her "get" the character, it wasn't structured to make the audience feel inspired to follow it.
"Whereas, if you're saying that there's no passion in a relationship without slapping each other – and I see the comments on YouTube, where people are engaging and resonating with that – you are engaging with the wrong thing in a massive, mob-like manner, where you're inciting violence," she said, adding that this was an issue which affected people on a day to day basis.
She further said that while she may not be able to stop a director from making such a film, she had the choice not to be part of it.
Vijay Deverakonda's response to Parvathy's take on his film was that he believes the world is "f*cked" and that he doesn't think a good film can change that. He then went on to say that just a film didn't decide one's behaviour.
"It's your family, parenting, schooling, it's multiple things that lead a person to behave in a certain way," he said. He also added that if he really liked a character and wanted to play it, he would justify it to himself, but that if he didn't want to do it, he might use the excuse of "moral responsibility" to change certain things about the role.
He then went on to say that it was completely possible for a couple to be in love but give each other "little hits and they completely understand and they're still in love". Vijay said that a couple like this would get Arjun Reddy but a person who has grown up watching his parents hit each other would find it scary, and that it wasn't possible to make films to "fit" everyone's personal lives.. Though Parvathy did not interject, she looked visibly taken aback by his rather muddled views.
This is not the first time that Parvathy has been vocal about her views. The actor was previously in the news for speaking up against the misogyny in the Mammootty film Kasaba, and had even received death and rape threats for it. She's also part of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), which was formed shortly after a prominent woman actor was abducted and sexually assaulted. Dileep, one of the top stars of the Malayalam industry, has been accused of being the mastermind behind the attack, and the WCC has time and again taken the stance to support the survivor at the risk of going against industry heavyweights like Mohanlal who play crucial roles in the Malayalam industry's film bodies.
Watch:
Those who are so taken by Parvathy's guts of talking about the problems of Arjun Reddy before Vijay, you should know, she said the same about Mammotty's Malayalam film Kasaba and had his fandom/male egos harassing her beyond limits.
— Adhiti/ Straight Spine Please! (@AravindAdhiti) November 25, 2019
And STILL she does what's right.
LEGEND. pic.twitter.com/EHJMwPDng2
When Vijay was substantiating Arjun Reddy/Kabir Singh time and again by saying
— ❦❦ இவள் வெண்பா(Venba)❦❦ (@paapabutterfly) November 25, 2019
"Couples are comfortable with slapping hitting"
The Adda expressions went like......
Parvathy had the GUTS to call it out loud and glad DP and Ayushmann being the only man to substantiate her♥️! pic.twitter.com/ttaDfzuQYr