Is Malayalam cinema shrinking the careers of female actors?

If you examine Malayalam cinema’s top-grossing films at the box office this year, what’s significant is the striking absence of well-developed female characters, with Premalu perhaps being a notable exception. Of course, this raises questions about creative priorities – should filmmakers incorporate female characters to check boxes or to appease politically correct audiences, or is it a genuine narrative choice? At first glance, some seem to be an organic storytelling decision. 

Aavesham, for example, was about a gangster mentoring college students. Manjummel Boys was a survivor thriller featuring a bunch of unruly men on a vacation, while The Goat Life was about a man stranded in the desert. However, closer examination reveals lazy writing in the few films that did have female characters.

Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil’s conflict revolves around a woman, yet she is sidelined for the toxic male protagonists’ bonding. Varshangalkku Shesham’s love interest is caricatured, feeling unnecessary. ARMs’s women are all second fiddle to the male lead, and Kishkinda Kaandam’s female lead is underdeveloped, serving only to advance the plot.

Such a trend of typecasting women in films not only limits female characters to tired tropes but also reduces narrative depth and diversity, apart from reinforcing outdated gender roles and biases. Recent representations particularly undermine authentic portrayals of women’s experiences, and as for their careers, it reduces visibility, contributing to persistent pay gaps.

Malayalam cinema’s heroines and their fleeting careers

It is ironic that the Malayalam film industry, which continues to be hailed for its radical content post the OTT boom, is shrinking opportunities for female actors. In sharp contrast, Bollywood has been faring better with women-led narratives on OTT and even the big screen (Jigra, Ulajh, Mrs Chatterjee V/s Norway, The Buckingham Murders, Khufiya, Arya). It’s also baffling how opportunities are dwindling for our female actors despite being part of blockbusters, while male actors are regularly securing films. 

Despite consecutive flops in 2023, Dhyan Sreenivasan has had multiple releases in 2024. Conversely, Darshana Rajendran, who headlined the socially relevant Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey and starred in Hridayam (both blockbusters), hasn’t landed significant roles. In 2023, she was part of three non-mainstream films (Thuramukham, Purusha Pretham), and this year, she only had Paradise, a critically acclaimed Indie film directed by Srilankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage, which was screened at prominent film festivals.

 “Of course, that’s a reality. But I feel that’s not just restricted to cinema. Because women find it tough to survive in this male-dominated field. A lot has, however, changed now, as opposed to a decade ago. We see more women on the sets thanks to an evolving society. When I did The Great Indian Kitchen there were no women on my team but in Kaathal, I had 2 or 3 women in my team. I see it as a positive change. Thanks to Govt initiation so many women filmmakers are venturing into this field. I am not saying it is easy, but things are changing,” observes director and actor Jeo Baby.

Anna Ben’s career trajectory is equally perplexing. After her debut in 2019 with the critically and commercially successful Kumbalangi Nights, though she has headlined Helen (superhit), Kappela, and Sara’s, her filmography remains surprisingly sparse. In 2024, she just had two releases — one each in Telugu (Kalki 2898 AD) and Tamil (Kottukkaali). Once hailed as a promising talent, her lack of opportunities in Malayalam projects raises questions. One wonders what drives this disparity in opportunities. Is it that her initial roles have left her typecast? Or are other factors at play?

Film academician CS Venkiteswaran notes that since the Hema Committee, the Malayalam film industry has been in limbo, awaiting clarity. “In the last few years, they have calibrated storytelling to exclude women. That’s why you see a lot of films celebrating male bonding. That’s one way to avoid giving space to women and their issues. Look at Manjummel Boys, Aavesham, or Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil, you can see the pattern. I don’t know if it is intentional,” he says.

The talented Grace Antony, who garnered acclaim alongside Anna in Kumbalangi Nights, is also getting typecast in quirky and forthright roles. Considering the promise she showed initially, she hasn’t been able to leverage her talent beyond a few notable films.

Aishwarya Lakshmy, who headlined interesting narratives like Archana 31 Not Out, Kumari, Mayanadhi, and Varathan faced criticism for her badly written love interest in King of Kotha. Even when she bagged prestigious projects in Tamil (Ponniyin Selvam, Gatta Gusti) and Telugu (Ammu), one can’t claim the same concerning Malayalam cinema.

While Aparna Balamurali, despite showcasing her range in Sundari Gardens, Ini Utharam, Sunday Holiday, Kamuki, and a national award-winning performance (Soorarai Pottru) in Tamil, hasn’t achieved sustained success in Malayalam. Be it Thankam, Dhoomam, 2018, or Padmini, the roles didn’t fully leverage her calibre. But this year, not only was she part of the Dhanush-directed blockbuster Raayan in Tamil, but also had a substantial role in it.

Take Rajisha Vijayan’s movie portfolio — a superb debut, followed by women-led dramas (June, Standup, Love, Kho Kho) and then the bilingual migration (Karnan, Sardar, Ramarao on Duty) and the eventual shrinking of projects in Malayalam. Nimisha Sajayan, who instantly catapulted to fame after Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, followed it up with a listicle of roles that proved her mettle (though gradually typecast). But that was also short-lived, and she later shifted to other language films (Chithha, Jigarthanda Double X). 

Mamita Baiju and Anaswara Rajan are making waves in the industry, navigating their early 20s and discovering fresh perspectives in storytelling. Interestingly, though scarce, they are finding youth-centric narratives and capitalising on age-appropriate roles. But it is too early to judge how their career will evolve. 

Overall though, the pattern seems to be pointing towards the limited shelf life of women’s careers in cinema, and the industry’s failure to nurture talent. Clearly, all the female actors are migrating to other languages and formats for sustained growth.“All our top Malayalam heroines are doing so well in Tamil now. Be it Nimisha Sajayan, Anna Ben, or Aparna Balamurali,” says CS.

These trends (which one has to concede, have been there for decades) point towards pervasive issues of typecasting, limited opportunities, and male-dominated narratives. One look at the filmography of our current female actors reveals an alarming stagnation, with many doing repetitive roles that have limited screen time, performing underdeveloped characters, not being in lead roles, and inadequate representation.

“For decades, the longevity of heroines in Malayalam cinema has been a pressing issue. The formation of the Women in Cinema Collective has ruffled many feathers in the industry, paradoxically leading to reduced opportunities for opinionated women. However, the WCC’s presence has made filmmakers wary of perpetuating misogyny on screen. But so many simply decided to do away with female presence to avoid the conversations,” CS points out.

The industry seems to be reluctant to offer a longer rope to a female actor as opposed to her male counterpart. While male actors are often given multiple chances to redeem themselves after failures, female actors are quickly replaced after setbacks. 

The ingrained patriarchal structure also adds to the casting choices. For instance, an AD once told this writer how Rajisha Vijayan was blacklisted as she “asked too many questions.” A similar issue was raised against another veteran female actor as well.

Female actors are also subjected to harsher criticisms. This disparity once again reinstates gender bias, stifling their growth, as is evident in Malayalam cinema. Actor Zarin, who made her big screen presence felt with Aattam, says it is unfortunate that this is happening to artists. “I haven’t faced this issue personally yet, but it is good to see that people are still talking about this,” she adds.

An industry insider reveals that another challenge facing female artists is the perceived risk of on-set conflicts. Reportedly, with the introduction of ICs to complaints against sexual harassment on set, producers, and directors have become increasingly hesitant to cast female actors due to apprehensions about ‘reputational damage’. 

“Malayalam cinema's male-dominated narratives are concerning, especially given the talent pool of female actors. Gems like Ullozhukku are rare. Take Pani, for instance, where the female character reinforces outdated tropes, reducing her to the hero's property. This perpetuates misogyny, reflecting societal attitudes. They must be feeling threatened by opinionated female actors. To truly progress, Malayalam cinema needs more women storytellers, challenging the status quo and securing a more inclusive future,” says film critic Shilpa Nair. 

When the industry would rather prioritise avoidance over inclusivity, it fosters a culture of exclusion as well as denial of opportunities. Not only that, it undermines the intent of ICCs, which aim to ensure safety and equality at the workplace, apart from creating a hostile workspace. 

This is not to discredit the countable exceptions – Premalu, which had a solid female lead, Kaathal, Aattam, Ullozhukku, Bougainvillea, and Thadavu, which redefined female representation in Malayalam cinema. 

“Unless we have more bold filmmakers doing films with more rounded, diverse characters, this alarming trend won’t change. Ullozhukku did well. So there is a market for it,” reminds CS.

This report was republished from The News Minute as part of The News Minute-Newslaundry alliance. It has been lightly edited for style and clarity. Read about our partnership here and become a TNM subscriber here.

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Neelima Menon has worked in the newspaper industry for more than a decade. She has covered Hindi and Malayalam cinema for The New Indian Express and has worked briefly with Silverscreen.in. She now writes exclusively about Malayalam cinema, contributing to Fullpicture.in and thenewsminute.com. She is known for her detailed and insightful features on misogyny and the lack of representation of women in Malayalam cinema.

Views expressed are the author’s own.