Parvathy birthday special: A look back at how the actor used her voice to steer change beyond the screens
On the birthday of the bold and beautiful Parvathy Thiruvothu, we look at the times the actor didn't hesitate to voice her opinion, be it as a feminist, mental health advocate or simply as a human
Identifying herself as a feminist, Parvathy acknowledges the social responsibility of actors. “I, as an actor, cannot stop a director from doing (such movies), but I can choose not to be a part of it'
Drawing huge flak, the award-winning actor earlier called out top Malayalam actor Mammootty’s 'misogynistic' dialogues in Kasaba and stood strongly by her opinion
'I was disappointed to watch an actor par excellence mouth dialogues to a woman that were not just derogatory, but saddening,' she had said on Mammootty's role in Kasaba
Following this, she received a slew of threats, but did not relent and dragged cyber bullies to police stations, setting a precedent that online threats won't go unnoticed
She extended her empathy to animals too. In 2015, after her movie Ennu Ninte Moideen, she turned vegan. Reports say she does not use any leather based products as well
In a recent interview, the actor didn't hold back from voicing her views on Arjun Reddy. Parvathy addressed the glorification of toxic masculinity in the film directly to lead actor Vijay Deverakonda
In the same interview, as the actor explained how Arjun Reddy is different from Joker, she used the phrase ‘bipolar disorder’ casually to refer the character's behaviour and promptly apologized
'It was a wrong choice of words and I stand corrected.' She apologized saying she has been trying to unlearn usages that allow using grave mental disabilities as a mere “adjective”
After the abduction and sexual assault of a fellow Malayalam actor, Parvathy voiced from the forefront. ‘She (the survivor) is being denied justice,’ Parvathy said boldly to the press
In the aftermath of the incident, she played a key role in the launch of Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in 2017, an organization to support women in the Malayalam film industry
Among several other issues, Parvathy also tweeted against the police excesses during the Citizenship Amendments Act (CAA) protests at Jamia Milia Islamia University
She has time and again reiterated that she will not be cowed down by bullying even as her comments continue to draw wide criticism from a certain section. Bold enough?
Amid many muffled voices, Parvathy's voice has stood out mostly due to her progressiveness. Wishing her many more happy returns of the day to steer change through her films & in the real world
