Uyare is a movie about survival, says Parvathy

Starring Parvathy, Asif Ali, and Tovino Thomas, newbie director Manu Ashokan's Uyare inspires the viewer to feel empowered

Admired for her performances and often times her political stance, Malayalam film actor Parvathy Thiruvoth has been challenging stereotypes in the industry one movie after the other. Known by the mononym Parvathy, she describes herself as a shape-shifter, a feminist, a happy hooman (human), and an actor on her social media profile. Often times, the 30- something-year-old is a troll-magnet, who is frequently abused for airing her views.
However, none of those 'definitions' stop her from being vocal about her views and delivering performances in cinema that is a true testament to her talent.
City Times caught up with the Kozhikode-native ahead of her latest release Uyare that is currently in UAE theatres, where she plays an acid attack survivor (Pallavi). Parvathy insists, irrespective of gender, the movie is about ambition and survival.
Penned by brothers Bobby and Sanjay and produced by the sister-trio, daughters of producer PV Gangadharan, Shenuga, Shegna and Sherga Uyare has received spectacular reviews in Kerala. Excerpts from the interview.
How did you prepare for Pallavi's character?
The preparation for Pallavi's character began with the script. When Manu sir (director Manu Ashokan) and Bobby sir (script writers Bobby and Sanjay) met with me, and we'd discussed how her character's arc would be, it was very structural at that point. We were very involved in discussing what Uyare, which focuses heavily on the word 'survivor', would stand for. Another major aspect of the movie is toxic relationships and the undeterred focus on survival. These were the two thoughts we kept anchoring ourselves to while researching the movie.
Ahead of this movie, how involved/aware were you about struggles faced by acid attack victims?
Meeting most of the survivors who work at Sheroes Hangout (a café and reach out centre launched by acid attack survivors) was an eye-opener. I visited them a month before I started to shoot, and we spoke for a long time. In time, each one of them started opening up to me.
Apart from the general story that a lot of people know, we looked into details on the challenges they face on a daily basis. We examined what they feel vs. what they show and this is something I focused on, and what I tried to translate.
Meeting them was of great help, and medically speaking, there was research on what needs to be done in pilot training, and how it affects women when you go through an attack.
What would you say was the best thing about acting with Asif Ali and Tovino?
Asif and Tovino are very committed actors. Whether they are established actors or not, or stars and regardless of their stardom, if they are madly committed to their craft - regardless of how they are with you - it is an incredible experience. Acting with them was very inspiring for me.
Tovino has so many interesting roles coming up, and for him to take up a role like Vishal is amazing as his character brings a whole new feel to the story. And he got that right, and it seemed like he was enjoying doing the role, and that really helped me do my scenes really well. In the case of Asif Ali, he was not in the film. There was only his character Govind.
Is there anything about Pallavi's character that you found relatable?
I think I found everything relatable about Pallavi's character. If not for the incident itself, the matter of survival is more or less relatable to everyone. For me, it is surviving nevertheless - no matter what, keep rising up. Whatever is bogging you down, be it internal or external, whatever force that is trying to bring you down, overcome that.
You just have to show up every single day, and give in your best self. It is ok, as long as you keep showing up. Pallavi's character gave me a lot of strength. It may not have been tangible while performing, however, after the release, it sinks in even more.
Does the story draw parallels to any of the socio-political issues faced by women in Kerala today? 
It definitely draws a parallel to many socio-political issues faced by not just men, but women as well. It's very straightforward to be supportive of Pallavi and root for her. However, the movie also addresses very important issues such as toxic relationships and why they happen, and how we facilitate all that as a community and as a society.
What are the measures we take with our friends and family? Are we making sure that we are analysing our behaviour with our loved ones? Is it getting toxic? Are we glorifying possessiveness? What drives another person to feel entitled enough to stop another person's life in the name of love? These are deeper questions to be asked, and definitely answered or debated. Uyare caters to that space of discussion.
How was your shooting experience?
We began shooting in November and finished by end of January. My shooting experience was great, but it was a lot of hard work. The best thing about the shooting was the team itself. It was not just the support of the director, producers, and writer, in fact, every single technician - from costume to lighting were incredible. They were very aware of how it is to perform with prosthetics and other variables, and they supported my performance.
What are your upcoming movies.
My next movie is Virus (based on the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerla), and then I am working on Varthamanam, a movie directed by Sidharth Shiva.
What message would you like to convey to the young girls watching this movie?
I wouldn't say the movie has one message in particular, and it's not just for girls. It is a movie about survival, and it is for every single person, regardless of gender. It is really about picking yourself up, no matter what life throws at you. I hope people leave the theatre feeling empowered and hopeful.
Would you say there has been a change in the cinema viewer's perspective towards women since the launch of the #MeToo movement? Are writers casting women in more sensitive roles now?
I think there definitely has been a change. I wish it could be faster, but that is me being greedy. There is a consistent change, and I've come to realise that's what's more important than its pace. Writers are being more inclusive in their storytelling and are being more aware of what they end up glorifying in a film while they retain their own perception of their storytelling.
A sense of responsibility is sprouting up, which is a good thing. I sure hope it's not something that limits their creativity. There is an increasing effort to change the narrative, and include representation for every community and every gender in cinema.
What were your main challenges with Uyare?
This is an answer I struggle with because everything was a challenge (laughs). With Uyare, it did not come with one particular challenge. Working with the prosthetics team (Dirty Hands), they did a fantastic job. With their support, I had a huge task to deliver. Even with the regular emotional graph of the character, with Pallavi, the challenge was to maintain the continuity and deliver for the arc of the story.
 
 
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com 

• South Stars