When the video of the song Stuthi from Bougainvillea released, it made quite the buzz among the audience. Perhaps it was the upbeat nature and distinctive style of the song that attracted listeners or perhaps it was the return of a face that Malayalam cinema and its viewers had seemed to have forgotten. Jyothirmayi made a comeback in front of the camera and it was in a totally different avatar than what we were used to seeing her in. Her bold and stylish look, featuring a buzz haircut, was completely different from her earlier roles, where she often portrayed traditional village belle.
In the movie Bougainvillea, she plays the role of Reethu, a woman grappling with retrograde amnesia following a traumatic car accident. This condition leaves her unable to recall recent events, significantly impacting her daily life and relationships. This performance highlighted her versatility as an actress and a reminder that the actor in you never dies.
Known for Malayalam movies like Meesa Madhavan (2002), Kalyanaraman (2002), Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum (2003), Pattalam (2003) and Janakan (2010), Kannada movie Bandhu Balaga (2008) and Tamil movie Vedigundu Murugesan (2009); Jyothirmayi took a break from acting after Housefull (2013) where she was cast opposite Malayalam comedian Tini Tom. Her return to cinema a decade later with Bougainvillea, starring Kunchacko Boban and Fahadh Faasil, created a brand new fan following and catapulted her into fame!
In a quick yet insightful conversation, Jyothirmayi talks about the idea of starting afresh, the type of roles she likes playing, her future projects and lots more…
You made a comeback to cinema after a decade. How did it feel returning in front of the camera with your role as Reethu in Bougainvillea?
Even though I’ve been involved in movies through our production house and worked on all our projects, being in front of the camera was a completely different experience. I had my moments of doubt, especially during those starting shoots. I was a little skeptical, wondering whether I would be able to do justice to the character of Reethu. I was a little scared, like any newcomer.
As we are all prepared to embrace the new year, what do you feel about starting anew or starting afresh?
Starting anew or starting afresh for me is to embrace changes, to embrace a new energy, embrace new surroundings and embrace all the surprises we are not ready for or prepared for. To begin a journey, I don’t think we have to know the entire journey. Sometimes in life, we have to be completely shaken up or rearranged or relocated so as to reach somewhere we are meant to be. So, I don’t hesitate to start afresh.
What changes did you notice in the cinema industry when you came back?
The biggest change I noticed was that of sync sound. This was my first sync sound experience and I was a little worried about getting used to the whole process of wearing a mic throughout the shoot and ensuring my modulations were correct. But in a way, I think it was a good thing. As an actor, when you’re acting, the whole emotion is captured at the same moment. Then, when you go to the dubbing studio from a totally different set or a different project, sometimes the emotion can get lost. But with sync sound that problem is solved. I think, this is a good thing for cinema, in general.
How did you bag your role in Bougainvillea?
First, Amal Neerad (her husband and director of Bougainvillea) read the novel Ruthinte Lokam by Lajo Jose and asked me to read the book. I really liked it. I told him, “It’s a little bit scary. ”When I said I really liked the story, he didn’t mention making it into a movie or anything. Then, a few days later, he said, “We are planning a movie and I want you to do this character.” But I was not sure. I asked him, “Why don’t you put another actor who has a good market value? Why don’t you ask someone else to do this character?” I hadn’t acted for a long time and I didn’t know how good I would be. Plus, the character had a lot of layers to it. But he said, “If you’re not doing it, I will not do this movie.” So, I was put in a situation where I had to say “yes”. I said, “See, this shouldn’t be a bad name for you just because I’m your wife.” He said, “no,” and I trusted him. I know Amal and he’s not someone who would do injustice to a movie. He loves movies more than anything in his life, so, I trusted him and went with his guidance.
People remember you from films like Kalyanaraman, Meesa Madhavan and Pattalam, but Bougainvillea was quite different. Was it difficult to adapt to such a change?
Maybe what you’re talking about is the songs in those movies, but I’ve also done movies like Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum and Kadhavaseshan. I’ve done characters with strong roots and those characters have come to me. But, like I said, I wasn’t always completely satisfied. In some movies, I couldn’t give my voice to the character. I’m not disowning them, but I think I could have done a little more. However, when it comes to Bougainvillea, I am completely satisfied with my character, how it turned out and the look it gave to Reethu. All these things were a change and I think that’s more exciting for the audience.
Over the last 10 years, what key learnings have you had, both as an artiste and as an individual?
My key learning? I didn’t learn anything. I had to unlearn everything. That’s what I did. Maybe that helped.
How do you choose roles in films? Is there a particular type of role you love playing?
It depends on who is making the movie. That’s what I’ve learned. If you ask me about the learning process, it’s not just about the story. It’s about how the story is being presented and who is presenting it. In that way, I was blessed with the Bougainvillea team. I had some of the best technicians in the Malayalam industry — or in the South Indian film industry, for that matter. Be it the cameraman, the music director, the sound engineer, the whole technical crew — everyone, including the actors I worked with — helped me bring out my best. And on top of that, I had the best director.
What’s next for you? Can we expect to see you in more films?
I hope so. I don’t know, actually. All these years, I was waiting for movies to come my way, but nothing happened. Maybe one or two movies came my way, but those characters weren’t exciting enough for me to be a part of them. So, I don’t know what’s going to be my next project. I’m going to take a small break and travel… after that, I’ll wait and see what comes my way.
You mentioned travel. Is it one of your passions or hobbies?
One of our passions — Amal’s and mine, actually. We haven’t travelled much in the last couple of years because our parents weren’t well and we have a son who is three years old. So, we haven’t travelled that much in the past one or two years. Even though we have travelled, it’s not like we used to. We are planning to catch up to that same pace, hopefully (laughs).
Bougainvillea is streaming on SonyLIV.
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