I am mindful of not being a part of misogynistic narratives: Malavika Mohanan

After establishing herself in Tamil and Malayalam film industries, giving Bollywood a shot felt “natural and right,” Malavika Mohanan tells us during a recent interaction. From Majid Majidi’s Beyond the Clouds, Tamil hit Master, to her Bollywood debut Yudhra, Malavika says she’s all for diversifying her portfolio, be it in terms of language or genre.
‘Blurring of language barrier has made it easier to switch industries’
Malavika with Siddhant Chaturvedi in Yudhra
“I have worked in some big films in the south, but I was waiting for the right offer to enter Bollywood with. Working with Siddhant (Chaturvedi), Farhan Akhtar (producer), or Ravi Udyawar (director) was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss,” Malavika says, while noting that being established in one industry actually makes it easier to find good offers in another. “The boundaries between languages and industries have blurred quite a bit, which makes it easier. If you’ve done a good job in a Tamil or Telugu film, it’s reaching people everywhere. So, you can now work with good makers all around. Thanks to OTT and social media, well-made films are no longer limited to the regions they’re made in.”
While opting to do OTT projects has almost become like a rite of passage for actors now, Malavika hasn’t made the medium-switch yet, but says she’s not averse to the idea. “Exploring OTT completely depends on the project, who's directing it, what the role is like, etc. For the last couple of years, I’ve been so busy with feature films that I haven't really had time to try other mediums but it might happen if the right opportunity comes along.”
‘I love doing action-packed roles’
Malavika’s filmography has a number of action films, which the actress says is one of her favourite genres. “I love doing action. In Thangalaan, I had to do action throughout and initially, It was very hard to get it right technically, but once you learn the nuances, it becomes so much fun. I have done my fair share of action, so now my friends are now jokingly calling me female Bruce Lee (laughs). But I prefer this over just delicately standing next to a hero while he is beating everyone. Why should boys have all the fun, right?”
...in Thangalaan
However, Malavika adds that doing a love story is the next thing on her acting wish list. “In terms of genres, I would love to do an out and out love story because I feel that’s a genre I haven't done properly in a long time. In terms of characters, I want to play a gangster. I think it’d be cool to play a suave female gangster.”
‘I stay away from misogynistic scripts’
I don’t opt for narratives in which the characters treat women in a very misogynistic way. It's a very personal choice. I am mindful of what kind of characters I choose, and I like choosing characters with agency, where women have a personality of their own and are shown in a certain light.
‘My parents let me figure things out on my own’
Malavika’s father is a renowned cinematographer (KU Mohanan), but she says he doesn’t advise her unnecessarily or interfere with her choices. “My parents come from a school of thought where they tell me ‘you do you, follow your own dreams’. They don’t push me towards something I don’t want or pull me away from something that I want to do. They’re very liberal and chill, but also very supportive. My father will only give me advice if I go asking for it, otherwise they let me figure things out on my own.”