Lakshmi is no superwoman, but a mother who stands by her teenage daughter against a mob (read moral police) and the police. Breaking free from the conventional image of the on-screen mother — submissive and grieving — she has broken many stereotypes. Muthumani, who essayed the character in Mammootty-starrer Uncle , says she couldn’t have asked for more. “My friend told me that on hearing my dialogues, a girl stood up and clapped,” she tells Friday Review .
Muthumani has emerged the show-stealer in the film and the actor is clearly over the moon. “Many filmmakers called up to appreciate my character (in Uncle ). I am also receiving congratulatory messages from random phone numbers. Probably because they have never seen me before in such a role and the topic is relevant today,” she says.
Challenging role
Muthumani says she didn’t really get enough time to prepare for the role. “I came into the movie as a replacement and the first scene I had to do was the climax! There were so many challenges. Indoor shoots have always been my comfort zone, but in this case, I had an outdoor shot, that too with a crowd. It was a crucial sequence and I had little time to get into the character. Lakshmi belongs to Thalassery and the dialect was a problem because I have never handled that before. On top of it, I wasn’t sure about pulling off the role of a mother. Director Gireesh Damodar, Joy Mathew, Mammookka [Mammootty], cinematographer Azhagappan sir... all of them helped me calm my nerves. Of course, my theatre background helped me improvise,” she says.
Muthumani with Karthika Muralidharan and Joy Mathew in a scene from Uncle
An astute performer, she has been in the industry for over a decade now. However, full-length roles have eluded this talented artiste. Nevertheless, Muthumani asserts that she has no regrets about doing or rejecting any role. “I have done and will do only those characters that I want to portray. It is true that I have never been flooded with offers. I have never been busy as an actor and have no complaints about it,” she says.
Rather, Muthumani takes pride in having been associated with some of the “notable projects” in Malayalam. “Even if my character was there in only a few scenes, these projects have had good visibility. I may not have contributed anything to that film as a whole, yet I have got noticed because of its reach. That’s why people still remember my characters, such as the opportunist politician in Oru Indian Pranayakadha, the heroine’s friend in How Old Are You? or the no-nonsense wife in Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty . With most of my films repeatedly being telecast on television, people are forced to remember me!” she smiles.
Balancing act
These days, she is trying to play the roles of a student and television anchor too. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in law from Cochin University of Science and Technology and is hosting the talk show Njaananu Sthree on Amrita TV.
Muthumani says she enjoys juggling her work and studies. “I have never compromised on my academics. My doctoral research is on copyrights law. It is a less-explored area. In fact, India lags behind countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom in copyright enforcement,” she says, adding that being associated with the film industry is an advantage in pursuing her research.
Reflecting on her talk show, Muthumani says it has turned out to be a refreshing experience for her. “It is an open forum to discuss various topics pertaining to women. The members on the panel are free to express their views. My job is to give everyone an opportunity to air their views without hurting anyone. There is a cordial, lively atmosphere, but, at the same time, we can’t dilute the subject,” says the actor.
Although she has hosted shows such as Ithalukal , a visual magazine show, and Kuttikalavara , a kids’ cookery show, Muthumani says Njaananu Sthree is a different game altogether. “I have to do thorough research on the subject and have to look at it from different perspectives. There is enough workload. However, I cherish this experience,” she says.
Meanwhile, she misses being on stage. “If I am doing a play, I have to devote a lot of time for the same and that is not possible at present,” Muthumani says. She also works “behind the scenes” of the projects of her husband, Arun P.R., a theatre practitioner. “In fact, he will also be going back to a student life, to pursue post-graduation in theatre!” she adds.
Making an entrance
Muthumani, daughter of actor Sherly Somasundaram, began her acting career as a theatre artiste in Kochi. During her school days, she travelled to Greece for the Ancient Greek Theatre Festival with the play Medea , staged by Lokadharmi. While working with a students-only theatre group, Celebrations, her role in the play Mukkanji won her the award for the best actress at the Theatre Olympiad in Orissa. That eventually paved her way into the film industry through Sathyan Anthikkad’s Rasathanthram . Since then, she has done brief yet interesting roles in movies such as Innathe Chintha Vishayam, Manikyakallu, Kadal Kadannu Oru Mathukutty, How Old Are You?, Oru Indian Pranayakadha, Lukka Chuppi, Jamna Pyari, Jomonte Suvisheshangal, and Ramante Edenthottam .
