Keerthy Suresh has been in the film industry since 2000s where she first debuted as a child actor. She gradually rose in the ranks, playing beside leading Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam stars, establishing her as versatile actor in the South Indian film industry with her script choices. However, the journey has been long and hard, revealed the actor in a recent interview, noting that she had to learn to say no many times in a market that is male-dominated.
Elaborating on the same in a conversation with Gobinath ahead of the release of Revolver Rita, Keerthy said, "It was due to my gut feeling, consciousness and vision that I was able to make the choices that was best for my career. My family members, with the experience they have, would instead urge me to say yes. Despite that, I have said no many times. Sometimes, my gut feeling would really be true. Those decisions have only taken me to the next level in cinema."
Talking about male domination in the industry and the screen space that women have in films, the Mahanati actor underlined that audience's perception and the market have become determining factors to change the outcome of films. Drawing an example, she asked the anchor, "Imagine you have a favourite male actor and a female actor, and both of their films are releasing at the same time. Which film would you choose?" Gobinath noted that audiences prefer a movie for the male lead. "Why do you think that is the case?" she probed, before answering, "We have grown up watching people choose male leads over women. Even now, when a female-centric film releases in theatres, we ask, 'Is there any other film coming out?, 'Is there any other movie backed by a male star?' That is the hard truth. It might be because of the makers or audience's perceptions. If we want to change this, it will take time. We need stories that are meaty and female-driven to change the industry."
Keerthy further said that gender pay gap in film industry still exists because of existing rules set by the industry. "The organic footfall for a female-led film is still quite limited. Audiences would only come if the story is extremely good. The female actor should have the equal stardom that the male has; She also needs an equal opening for her film. If the story receives positive reviews and the film has a big opening, then it would become a hit," she said.
Apart from Keerthy Suresh, Revolver Rita, which hits theatres on Friday, also stars Radikaa Sarathkumar, Redin Kingsley, Mime Gopi, Sendrayan, and veteran stunt choreographer Super Subbarayan.
It may be noted that director K Chandru has made a comeback with Revolver Rita after Naveena Saraswathi Sabatham (2013). The film marks Keerthy's first Tamil release this year, barring a lone Telugu release, Uppu Kappurambu, directed by Ani IV Sasi. Post its theatrical run, Revolver Rita will hit the OTT platform Netflix.