The insecurities of actresses have come down to an extent: Remya Nambeesan

In Anjaam Pathiraa, when Fathima, wife of Anwar Hussain appears on screen, the audience get a surprise glimpse of Remya Nambeesan. The actress’ last full-length role in Malayalam was almost five years back in 2015, though she was busy in Tamil, both as an actor and a singer. Ask her why and she doesn’t give us a specific reason, but asserts that she would love do films in her mother tongue.
Remya, who was last seen in an extended cameo in Virus alongside an ensemble cast, is happy about her role in Anjaam Pathiraa, the way her career has shaped up in the Tamil film industry and how she takes forward her passion for music and dance.
In a candid chat, the Chaappa Kurish actress who has been always vocal about the injustice towards women in the industry, speaks about returning to Mollywood and other subjects.
We were missing you in Malayalam for quite a while…
It was because I became really busy in Tamil after Sethupathi. Suddenly, offers dried up in Malayalam from 2015. If you ask me to specify the reasons, I am really not sure. Was it because I asked for the remuneration that I felt I deserved? And, they thought it was a sudden rise? Luckily, I was getting very good offers from Tamil. Also, I wasn’t able to take up some projects that came to me from Malayalam as I had already given my dates to Tamil projects.
I took up Virus after a long time. Till then, many people thought that I had stopped acting in Malayalam.
Anjaam Pathiraa came after that; almost all of them were my friends. For me language doesn’t matter while acting.
How was it to be part of Anjaam Pathiraa?
I really loved the script and felt the technical team was very sensible. Also, each character is integral to the story, no matter how much screen space each has. I am someone who has never bothered about the length of my character in any film, but only about the importance of the role. In Traffic, I hardly have one or two scenes, but my role is pivotal for the story’s progression. When I read Anjaam Pathiraa’s script, I felt I shouldn’t miss it as none of the dialogues by the character is irrelevant. Midhun is a director who gives enough freedom to the actors and I really had a relaxed shoot. I think everyone had the same feeling and that has reflected in the performance of each actor.
Tell us about your other projects.
I have five projects in Tamil now. My next release is Thamezharasan with Vijay Antony, then Ranger with Sibiraj. I am also part of a typical fun Tamil road movie named Plan Panni Pannanum and I am also doing an offtrack movie. I am associating again with Prabhu Deva.
Have you become too comfortable in Tamil that you don’t feel like coming back to Malayalam?
Never. My mother tongue is Malayalam and it is in my blood. So, doing a character in our own language is a very different feeling and a unique comfort. It really feels good. However, for me acting is my job and as an actor, I grab a good opportunity wherever I get one. Cinema has now become more universal due to online platforms and people from anywhere in the world can now watch movies from any language. For me, my work and talent have to be recognised. I am doing well in Tamil and received good offers, so I stayed back. If I get good scripts in Malayalam, I will definitely come back here.
Heard that you are trying direction…
(Laughs) It is a three-minute video titled Unhide which I am planning to release on February 14. I wasn’t sure if I could do but I did. It is a small theme that I had in my mind and I have just tried to visualise it.
Tell us about your music and dance.
It is a part of my life. I had sung for Dabaang 3 in Tamil and for my upcoming movie which has Yuvan Shankar Raja composing music. I am doing concerts, judging reality shows and in dance, I am doing stage performances and shows.
There has been a lot of discussion about the unofficial bans imposed in cinema and your name featured among them.
There will be definitely be opposition when we speak up about injustice. That’s quite natural. When you react or talk, people treat us, especially women, as aliens. It is not necessary that we say something intellectual. Even if we speak up about basic things, it can make people uncomfortable. I do not know why.
We are now living in a world undergoing big changes, but most people here aren’t happy when we speak out. They should understand that it is the beginning of change and only through discussion, will there be transformation. I have taken it all in a sportsman spirit as, I believe, things will change eventually. When we speak out initially, there will be hatred and as we continue to do so, people will evolve. If you believe in yourself and work hard, and stay strong without being afraid of the opposition, you will definitely have your space in the industry.
Have things changed in the past two years?
What I have understood is that the insecurities that prevailed in the minds of women in the industry have come down to an extent. Of late, in Malayalam, I have been working with young filmmakers and I felt really comfortable, be it on Aashiq Abu’s set or Midhun’s set. There is a very good working atmosphere. I feel things are slowly changing and we will have a comfortable working atmosphere. However, it isn't true that there are no issues in the industry. What we need is equal space and opportunity. All aspiring actresses should walk into films without any fear or apprehension. They should feel free and at peace to work in the industry.