For seasoned theatre actor Maala Parvathi, it was a chance of a lifetime to blossom as Lily in Anjali Menon’s new film, Koode . She admits that in as many words while gushing about her role.
“A dream come true, that is what Lily is all about. I felt I was in wonderland and Anjali had encouraged me to go down the rabbit hole to explore a new universe. Now, I feel, I have arrived in tinsel town. Anjali’s validation of my act has given me the confidence that the silver screen is my space. It has got rid of my insecurities and lack of confidence in my acting skills,” she exults.
When Anjali gave her the script to read, she did not ever see herself as Lily. “Indeed, if I were the casting director, I would not have cast myself as Lily as I don’t see myself having sufficient experience to pull off a role like that of the mother in Koode . Aloshy, enacted by Ranjith, and Lily are as central to the movie as Joshua and Jenny, played by Prithviraj and Nazriya Nasim,” says Parvathi.
Maala Parvathi and Nazriya Nasim in a still from ‘Koode’
So, when the call eventually from Anjali, the actor says she was over the moon. As Lily, Parvathi goes through a gamut of emotions that tests her histrionics and had her ageing on screen from 35 to about 60. “Anjali did not want me to prepare too much for playing Lily but she wanted me to lose weight. But, while writing, she called me a couple of times to give me a situation and ask me how I would have reacted to that. That is the kind of effort she puts into her work. Her hard work, attention to detail and quest for perfection are qualities worth emulating. Instead of behaving as a teacher, Anjali was more of a teamster, encouraging every one and helping them to ease into their characters,” recalls the actor.
While Parvathi has acted the mother in several noteworthy movies such as Take Off, CIA, Godha, Action Hero Biju and so on, she polished her acting talent in theatre under the mentorship of M.G. Jyothish. Nevertheless, the veteran television anchor, hostess, psychologist and activist believes that Lily is her best role to date. “For one thing, I was acting opposite an actor like Ranjith chettan [director and scenarist]. Although he was quite the reluctant actor in this case, he lived the character of Aloshy. Many of our scenes together have dialogues that were improvised on the spot,” she explains.
She remembers how Anjali would give them space to play out a scene completely before giving them a suggestion or two if she went for another take. That, she feels, helped the actors sustain the mood of the characters. “What is unique about the film is that, for the first time perhaps, a Malayalam film sensitively delves into the angst, anxieties, expectations and disappointment of a young man. In every family, if there is a crisis, everyone expects the youngster to shoulder the responsibility of seeing the family through the dark days. No one thinks of what he goes through. Not even his mother, in this case Lily,” narrates Parvathi.
Maala Parvathi
According to her, Lily is this naïve woman, completely engrossed in her world. All she wants is the good of her family but she seldom stops to think that that is what they want. “We have come across a Lily so many times in our life. She symbolises society at large, the concern and the lack of understanding as well. I see the movie as one that sketches relationships with great sensitivity: the ties between husband and wife, between mother and son, mother and daughter, between siblings, lovers, friends… Each subtle nuance has been explored.”
Shot in freezing temperatures in Glenmorgan in Ooty, the cast and crew had to battle inclement weather. However, Parvathi insists that while the shoot was on, not one person felt the cold. Their work kept them warm and involved. “I have great hopes for Koode . I am sure it will be a story that viewers will take home with them!”
