Parvathy turns 32. These are her best works

13 years since her debut as a female lead, Parvathy Thiruvothu remains a commanding presence on the screen

A dependable actor is every director’s top priority. Many performances are enhanced with the script’s backing. But great actors bring something extra to the table. They bring alive the unwritten with their innate brilliance.

It’s been 13 years since Parvathy Thiruvothu made her debut as heroine in the Kannada blockbuster ‘Milana’. Melodious numbers from ‘Mano Murthy’, a story that impressed the family audience and a highly natural performance from Puneeth Rajkumar powered ‘Milana’ to a 500-day run at the box-office.

Parvathy’s sincere emotions made a decent impact on the audience. The actor, who turned 32 on Tuesday, has grown into one of country’s finest performers.

“People call me a method actor and I honestly don’t like it. I don’t understand what it means,” she had once confessed in a radio interview.

Parvathy has aced well-written yet complex roles across four languages. While she has talent in abundance, Parvathy’s acute understanding of the characters reflects in her acting. Extensive research, which she feels is important, has helped her internalise the characters. Parvathy’s complete dedication to the craft has seen her match the ambitions of the filmmakers.

Showtime picks her best performances from her body of work of 23 films.

Kannada
Prithvi (2010, on YouTube)

After Milana, the classy combination of Puneeth and Parvathy reunited for Jacob Varghese’s social drama. Parvathy brings great dignity to her role of the concerned wife of an IAS officer fighting corruption. Unhurried and free from exaggerated expressions, she makes you care for her throughout the film.

Malayalam
Ennu Ninte Moideen (2015, on Hotstar)

In this biographical romantic tragedy by RS Vimal, Parvathy plays a silent rebel. As Kanchanamala, Parvathy is a Hindu girl in love with a Muslim man (Prithviraj Sukumaran). During the time separated from her lover, Parvathy, locked in a room, speaks less but conveys a range of emotions through her brilliant expressions.

The film’s best scene has Parvathy in it. Rejecting a marriage proposal from another man, a teary-eyed Parvathy puts across her throbbing pain. The dialogues were a big hit but take Parvathy out of it, the scene loses its spine. It’s a poignant performance that reaches straight to the heart.

Take Off (2017, on Hotstar)

Parvathy superbly anchors Mahesh Narayanan’s rescue drama of Indian nurses trapped in Tirkit, Iraq. Portraying vulnerability and strength, she is terrific as Sameera, a courageous nurse. The genius that she is, Parvathy doesn’t manipulate the audience with melodrama.

The emotions are never over the top and her acting finely aids the riveting story. It’s as good as we have ever seen from Parvathy and it won her a special jury mention at the National Awards.

Uyare (2019, on Netflix)

Parvathy once again slips back into the role of a battler in Manu Ashokan’s well-made drama. A life of an aspiring pilot receives a severe blow when she becomes a victim of acid-attack. She brilliantly pushes herself in the mind of Pallavi Ravindran, who is suffocated by her abusive and possessive boyfriend. Delivering lines with a razor-sharp sense of timing, Parvathy makes you root for her in her fight against patriarchy.

Tamil
Maryan (2013, on YouTube)

Though her foray into Tamil films began successfully with the acclaimed ‘Poo’ (2008), Bharat Bala’s Maryan enters the list because, in this survival drama, Parvathy shows what a gifted performer can do to a script with limitations. Parvathy is best in the film’s early portions as a passionate unrequited lover. She mostly speaks through her eyes and stands tall against the talented male lead Dhanush. In a village set-up, without sophisticated looks, Parvathy never feels out of place.

Hindi
Qarib Qarib Singlle (2017, on Netflix)

In her Hindi debut, Parvathy sends a strong message to Bollywood filmmakers. A female lead need not just be a needless glamorous passenger in commercial Hindi cinema. She can own the screen, be extremely watchable and leave you wanting for more. In this beautiful romantic comedy, Parvathy is a middle-aged widow yearning for love and companionship again.

Not only does she strike fine chemistry with Irrfan Khan, but she is also very realistic as a woman trying to break inhibitions and move on from her past. She successively aces the comedy genre, seldom explored by directors with Parvathy.