Parvathy Thiruvothu
Parvathy Thiruvothu is an Indian film actress who appears in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada films and a Hindi film. Hailing from Kozhikode, Kerala, she made her debut in the 2006 Malayalam film Out of Syllabus. She's well known for her performances in films such as Notebook, Milana, Poo, City of God, Maryan, Bangalore Days, Uttama Villain, Ennu Ninte Moideen, Charlie, Take Off, Koode, Uyare and Virus. Parvathy made her Bollywood debut with Qarib Qarib Singlle.
Thiruvothu has won various awards and accolades for her roles. Thiruvothu won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress Two times for her performance in the Malayalam films Ennu Ninte Moideen, Charlie in 2016 and
Early life and education
Thiruvothu was born in Calicut, Kerala, to P. Vinod Kumar and T. K. Usha Kumari, who are both lawyers. She has a brother, Aum Thiruvoth . During her schooling years, her family moved to Thiruvananthapuram and she pursued her studies there. She finished her schooling from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pangode. After finishing her B.A. in English Literature from All Saints College, Thiruvananthapuram, she is currently pursuing her M.A. through distance education. She was a successful television anchor at Kiran TV, a full-time music channel based in Thiruvananthapuram. She is a Bharatanatyam dancer.Career
Thiruvothu made her acting debut in the 2006 Malayalam film Out of Syllabus, portraying a supporting role as a college student. Her second venture, Rosshan Andrrews' Notebook, won media attention due to its theme on teenage pregnancy. Thiruvothu appeared alongside Roma Asrani and Mariya Roy, after being picked for one of the three main roles from five thousand applicants. She was also seen in Sathyan Anthikkad's comedy drama film, Vinodayathra, playing a supporting role alongside an ensemble cast including Dileep, Mukesh and Meera Jasmine. Her first leading role was in the Kannada film Milana, which became a commercial success upon release. Pairing alongside Puneet Rajkumar, she was a surprise selection for the film and began working on the film in April 2007. The film won mixed reviews, but the actress's role was praised with a critic noting she "has been a wonderful selection for the role", adding that "she has that right attitude for the role". The film went on to become a big commercial success, running for 500 days at a multiplex in Bangalore. She returned to the Malayalam industry portraying the leading female role in Sibi Malayil's Flash with Mohanlal and Indrajith, and prior to release revealed that she hoped the film would give a breakthrough as a lead actress in the industry. However, the film failed commercially and garnered poor reviews on release.Thiruvothu was selected to play the lead role in Sasi's Poo and featured alongside Srikanth, portraying the role of a young Tamil village girl named Maari. She revealed that she had to forgo twelve other offers to commit to the film, noting that Sasi selected her after a successful audition. To acclimatize to the role, the actress had to get her skin tone several shades darker and also visited a firework factory to study Maari's occupation. The actress revealed she found it difficult getting out of character and became emotionally attached to the role she had played. Upon release, the film and her performance won rave reviews. A critic from Sify.com noted "Parvathy has lived in the role of Maari and takes your breath away as she effortlessly delivers such a difficult role so convincingly on her debut in Tamil", adding that "she is consistently credible and lifelike and absolutely riveting." Similarly Rediff.com's reviewer mentioned that Poo is "almost entirely Parvathy's film" noting that "she's superb", while Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu wrote Thiruvothu "makes optimum use" and "plays a rustic belle to the hilt in attire and expression, also getting the body language right." The actress subsequently went on to win the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress, while also securing other accolades and nominations from several other award juries, notably winning the Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress.
Her only release in 2009 was the Kannada film, Male Barali Manju Irali, directed by Vijayalakshmi Singh, where she dubbed for the role in her own voice. Thiruvothu accepted the venture, which featured mostly rookie technicians, noting that she was impressed by the director's script and revealed she had turned down several offers from Tamil film-makers during the period who had wanted to cast her in roles similar to her character from Poo. The film won rave reviews, with a critic noting "Parvathy steals the show" and that "she comes with one of the most absorbing performances", adding that "her level of commitment to the role could be gauged by the way she has taken pains to dub in an alien language almost perfectly." Thiruvothu again teamed up with Puneet Rajkumar in Prithvi, which was based on the political situation in Karnataka. The director has earmarked Thiruvothu for the role when writing the script and her re-collaboration with Puneet after the success of Milana, was built up by the media. Though the film opened to positive reviews, critics noted the little scope that Thiruvothu's character had in the film, noting that "she was mostly confined to the songs". Her Malayalam film City of God, which was directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, opened to mixed reviews. Despite the commercial failure of the project, critics noted she was "just brilliant" and a "dynamo" in her role of a Tamil refugee girl. The actress took a voluntary break after the film's release, deciding to become choosier while selecting scripts.
Her first release in 2013, was the Kannada romantic film Andhar Bahar co-starring Shivrajkumar, which told the story of the relationship between a newly married criminal and his wife. She dubbed with her own voice for the film again, revealing that she chose to star in the film as the role had scope for her to perform. The film opened to good reviews, with a critic noting "Parvathy lights up the screen whenever she appears and is a delight to watch". She was next seen in the 2013 Tamil thriller film, Chennaiyil Oru Naal, featuring her alongside an ensemble cast. The film, a remake of the 2011 Malayalam film Traffic, has its narrative in a hyperlink format and Thiruvothu won good reviews for her small role as Aditi. She has then signed to essay a leading role in Bharat Bala's romantic drama Maryan opposite Dhanush. The director had seen her performance in Poo and subsequently auditioned her for the part, with Parvathy noting that the character was the best she has played till date. She portrayed Panimalar, a girl in love with the titular character Maryan, who inspires him to overcome his struggles. During production, the actress helped get into the mind of the character by working with fisherman, while also learning how to swim for underwater scenes. The film released to unanimously positive reviews and successful box office collections in June 2013. A reviewer from Sify.com noted Thiruvothu "leaves a lasting impression", while another critic noted that she "is totally in sync with Dhanush all the way; she has matched him step for step, never allowing him to overshadow her." Times of India's review noted "Parvathy is the other pillar of the film, and comes up with a scintillating performance", adding "it is such a pleasure to watch her portray the various emotions". Her portrayal as Panimalar made received her multiple nominations for Best Actress, most notably the Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Tamil and the Vijay Award for Best Actress.
Her only 2014 release, Bangalore Days directed by Anjali Menon, was a high commercial success, with reports claiming that it was "one of the biggest hits in history of Malayalam cinema". An ensemble cast including Dulquer Salmaan, Nivin Pauly, Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya Nazim, Nithya Menen and Isha Talwar. Thiruvothu's performance as RJ Sarah was well appreciated & she went on to win several accolades, including the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress - Malayalam.
In 2015, she appeared in the romance film Ennu Ninte Moideen which narrated the tragic love tale of Kanchanamala and Moideen which happened in the 1960s in Mukkam, a riverside village in Kerala. The film opened to critical acclaim, with several critics regarding it as one of the greatest romance films made in Malayalam. Thiruvothu's performance was acclaimed critically & commercially. She went onto win many accolades most notably her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Malayalam She is one of the founding members of Women in Cinema Collective, the organization for the welfare of women workers of Malayalam movie industry. Her final release of 2015 was Charlie alongside Dulquer Salmaan, Aparna Gopinath & Nedumudi Venu. The film went to win 8 Kerala State Film Awards, with Thiruvothu winning the Best Actress Award for both Charlie and Ennu Ninte Moideen.
In 2016, Thiruvothu had one release, Bangalore Naatkal, directed by Bommarillu Bhaskar, where she reprised her character RJ Sarah, from the Malayalam film Bangalore Days.
Thiruvothu had two releases in 2017. Her first release was Take Off, directed by Mahesh Narayan. The film also stars Kunchacko Boban and Fahadh Faasil. Celebrities praised the movie, including actor Kamal Haasan. The film was screened at international festivals, including International Film Festival of India and International Film Festival of Kerala. The film ran for over 125 days in theatres. Thiruvothu's performance was highly acclaimed. She went on to win
IFFI Best Actor Award, becoming the first ever Indian film Actress to win the silver peacock award. She was also nominated for National Film Award for Best Actress, where she lost to Sridevi in the final round. But went on to win her first National Film Award – Special Mention a second Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress and her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Malayalam. She made her Bollywood debut opposite Irrfan Khan in Qarib Qarib Singlle in 2017.
Thiruvothu was one of the firsts to openly state that films with misogynistic dialogue should not be encouraged. She named the veteran actor Mammootty's film Kasaba, as one such movie. She requested that senior actors like Mammootty who is much respected and has a wide fan following should henceforth refrain from acting in movies that have such misogynistic scripts for the betterment of the society at large. Thiruvothu's viewpoint came under much criticism and she became the victim of cyber-bullying. She was viciously trolled and abused on various online platforms by Mammootty fans, two of them were arrested by Kerala police following a complaint from Thiruvothu. She had also spoken the reality of Islamophobia in the industry, even in her films like Ennu Ninte Moideen, deciding not repeat such mistakes in future
In 2018, Thiruvothu had two releases. The first one was My Story directed by Roshni Dinaker, where she was paired with Prithviraj. Her next release was Anjali Menon's Koode. This was Thiruvothu's third movie with Prithviraj, while her second movie with Anjali Menon and Nazriya Nazim who was making her comeback after four years. The film received good reviews from both critics and audiences.
In 2019, Thiruvothu had two releases. The first one was debutant Manu Ashokan's Uyare. Thiruvothu's role as Pallavi Raveendran, an acid attack survivor got appreciation from the critics as well as the audience. Her second release was Aashiq Abu's Virus, which was produced by Rima Kallingal. The film was about the Nipah Virus that happened in Kerala in 2018 which affected many lives. The film as well as her role was well-received by both critics and audience.
Controversies
Film faternity and Movies buffs criticized Thiruvothu for giving a statement to media about not knowing an established Tamil actor Dhanush.Thiruvothu, who played Dhanush's love interest in the movie Maryan, gave a startling statement to the media. When asked if she agreed to be a part of Maryan because of her co-star Dhanush, who is now a sensation, she said that she didn't know Dhanush before Maryan.
Thiruvothu criticised Mammootty's movie Kasaba. She said she was disappointed to see an actor, par excellence, like Mammooty say derogatory lines to a woman in a film she recently watched which was glorified. In the aftermath of the comments she had made about Mammootty's film, Thiruvothu says she was told there would now be a lobby against her in the industry and that she would not get work. “But am I going to leave? This has been my home for 12 years and the industry is as much mine as anybody else’s. I came in on my own accord, stayed through by hard work and will power — so I’ll still make films. There will be obstacles, but I am not going anywhere.”
Thiruvothu slammed Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh at a roundtable organised by Film Companion. Thiruvothu's comments against Arjun Reddy were met with a lot of appreciation and many pointed out that she was brave enough to address the issue in front of Vijay Deverakonda. Arjun Reddy actor Vijay Deverakonda criticized social media trollers during an interview at IFFI simultaneously emphasising on how much he respected Parvathy and her work.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
| 2006 | Out of Syllabus | Gayatri | Malayalam | Debut film as an actress |
| 2006 | Notebook | Pooja Krishna | Malayalam | |
| 2007 | Vinodayathra | Rashmi | Malayalam | |
| 2007 | Milana | Anjali | Kannada | Debut film as lead actress |
| 2007 | Flash | Dhwani Sekharan | Malayalam | |
| 2008 | Poo | Maari | Tamil | |
| 2009 | Male Barali Manju Irali | Sneha Shivappa | Kannada | |
| 2010 | Prithvi | Priya Shastri | Kannada | |
| 2011 | City of God | Marathakam | Malayalam | |
| 2013 | Chennaiyil Oru Naal | Aditi | Tamil | |
| 2013 | Andhar Bahar | Suhasini | Kannada | |
| 2013 | Maryan | Panimalar | Tamil | |
| 2014 | Bangalore Days | RJ Sarah | Malayalam | |
| 2015 | Uttama Villain | Manonmani | Tamil | |
| 2015 | Ennu Ninte Moideen | Kottatil Kanchanamaala | Malayalam | |
| 2015 | Charlie | Tessa | Malayalam | |
| 2016 | Bangalore Naatkal | RJ Sarah | Tamil | |
| 2017 | Take Off | Sameera | Malayalam | |
| 2017 | Qarib Qarib Singlle | Jaya | Hindi | Debut film in Hindi |
| 2018 | My Story | Tara | Malayalam | |
| 2018 | Koode | Sophie | Malayalam | |
| 2019 | Uyare | Pallavi Raveendran | Malayalam | |
| Virus | Dr. Annu | Malayalam | - | |
| 2020 | Rachiyamma | Rachiyamma | Malayalam | Filming |
| Halal Love Story | Malayalam | Post-production | - |
Television
- She was the VJ of a music show "Tamil Hits" in Kiran TV.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
| 2008 | Karnataka State Film Award | Karnataka state Film Award for Best Actress | Milana | rowspan="2" |
| 2008 | Filmfare Awards South | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada | Milana | - |
| 2008 | Filmfare Awards South | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil | Poo | rowspan="2" |
| 2008 | Vijay Awards | Best Debut Actress | Poo | - |
| 2008 | Vijay Awards | Best Actress | Poo | |
| 2008 | Vikatan | Best Actress | Poo | |
| 2011 | South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actress | City of God | |
| 2013 | SIIMA Awards | Best Actress -Tamil | Maryan | rowspan="2" |
| 2013 | Behindwoods Gold Summit Award | Best Actress | Maryan | - |
| 2013 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress – Tamil | Maryan | rowspan="2" |
| 2013 | Vijay Awards | Best Actress | Maryan | - |
| 2014 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam | Bangalore Days | rowspan="15" |
| 2014 | Asianet Film Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Bangalore Days | - |
| 2014 | Asiavision Awards | New Sensation in Acting | Bangalore Days | - |
| 2014 | South Indian International Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Bangalore Days | - |
| 2015 | Kerala State Film Awards | Best Actress | Ennu Ninte Moideen & Charlie | - |
| 2015 | Asianet Film Awards | Best Actress | Ennu Ninte Moideen & Charlie | - |
| 2015 | Vanitha Film Awards | Best Actress | Ennu Ninte Moideen & Charlie | - |
| 2015 | Kerala Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Ennu Ninte Moideen & Charlie | - |
| 2015 | North American Film Awards | Best Actress | Ennu Ninte Moideen & Charlie | - |
| 2015 | Asiavision Awards | Best Actress | Ennu Ninte Moideen | - |
| 2015 | Filmfare Awards South | Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Malayalam | Ennu Ninte Moideen | - |
| 2015 | SIIMA Awards | Best Actress – Malayalam | Ennu Ninte Moideen | - |
| 2015 | 1st IIFA Utsavam | Performance in a lead role female -Malayalam | Ennu Ninte Moideen | - |
| 2016 | CPC Cine Awards | Best Actress | Ennu Ninte Moideen | - |
| 2016 | Flowers Indian Film Awards | - | Ennu Ninte Moideen | - |
| 2017 | 2nd IIFA Utsavam | Performance in a lead role female Malayalam | Charlie | |
| 2017 | Yuva Awards 2017 | Yuva Best Actress | Take Off | |
| 2017 | International Film Festival of India | Silver Peacock for the Best Actor Award | Take Off | |
| 2018 | North American Film Awards | Best Actress | Take Off | |
| 2018 | Vanitha Film Awards | Best Actress | Take Off | |
| 2018 | CPC Cine Awards | Best Actress in a Lead Role | Take Off | |
| 2018 | Kerala State Film Awards | Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress | Take Off | |
| 2018 | National Film Awards | National Film Award – Special Mention | Take Off | |
| 2018 | Janmabhoomi Awards | Best Actress | Take Off | |
| 2018 | Asianet Film Awards | Best Actress | Take Off | |
| 2018 | Filmfare Awards South | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Malayalam | Take Off | |
| 2018 | 3rd Anand TV film awards | Best Actress | Take Off | |
| 2018 | SIIMA Awards | Best Actress – Malayalam | Take Off | |
| 2018 | SIIMA Awards | Pantaloons style icon | ||
| 2019 | Asianet Film Awards | Best Actress | Koode | |
| 2019 | Asianet Film Awards | Popular actress | Koode | |
| 2020 | Asianet Film Awards | Best Actress | Uyare, Virus | |
| 2020 | Vanitha Film Awards | Popular actress | Uyare, Virus | |
| 2020 | Movie Street | Best Actress | Uyare, Virus | |
| 2020 | Critics Choice Award | Best Actress Malayalam | Uyare | |
| 2020 | - | - | - | - |
| 2020 | - | - | - | - |