Heroines are M-Town’s new heroes

Who says only hero-oriented films thrive in Mollywood?
Things have changed with more and more powerful women characters making their presence felt in films. M-Town’s leading ladies are no longer your average heroine with just a pretty face. They are confident, bold and certainly the changing face of the Malayalam film industry. Some of the recent movies like Mili, How old Are You, Chaayilyam and Ohm Shanthi Oshana saw female protagonists in powerful roles.They were literally the heroes in these films and were lapped up critics and audiences alike. So what led to the rise of the heroine in a male dominated Malayalam film industry? Kochi Times takes a peek.
Every woman has a story!
Shyam Pushkar, the scribe of 22 Female Kottayam, which indeed set the trend for woman-oriented films in the industry, says he loves to write such films, as each and every woman has a story to tell. “Just as every woman is unique, so is her story. My mother, wife and the women characters I have come across in real life have inspired me to tell their tales. Above all, I believe a women’s story is more realistic — we don’t have to write punch dialogues; they are subtle, yet powerful.”
Scriptwriter and lyricist Venugopal Ramachandran Nair seconds Shyam’s thoughts. “Despite all the atrocities against women, she is powerful in her thoughts and actions. There was a time when we used to look at Vijayshanthi’s performance as an IPS officer in films with disbelief, but now we see women power in real life,” says the scribe adding that no exaggeration is needed to portray powerful women characters onscreen. “Cinema is evolving and so are the audience. Women are intellectually and mentally strong and they are finding their place under the sun and obviously in movies too,” says Venugopal.
More than a pretty face
In the past too we’ve had actresses portraying strong characters who fight the shackles of society. But they were just heroines and their job confined to acting only. But today’s heroines are different from their predecessors, says Shyam Pushkar and adds, “Today’s young crop of heroines, including Manju Warrier and Rima Kallingal, are aware of the other aspects of movie making too. And hence, their roles are not restricted to acting alone. They have been the faces of many social causes as well. That shows that their reel life is an extension of their real life persona.” Director Ajmal, whose Kanthari is a woman-centric film, says, he is also inspired by real life characters. “Their strength when faced with tough situations is what inspired me to write a script on them.”
It’s a woman’s world
Preethi Panikker, one of the few women directors in Mollywood, is currently helming a woman-centric movie titled Thilothama. She says it was sheer determination that led her to venture into tinseltown. “Life is too short to go with the flow. I believe in taking risks to achieve my dreams. If the success rate of woman-oriented films in the recent times is anything to go buy, women will rule the roost in M-Town in the future too,” she says.
Watch out for more...
If 2014 saw a slew of woman-centric films, many more are going to hit the screens this year. We list out the more popular ones: Rani-Padmini: Aashiq Abu’s directorial with Rima Kallingal and Manju Warrier in the lead spans through the issues faced by women during road trips. She-Taxi: Kavya Madhavan will essay the character of Devayani, the driver of a she-taxi who goes on a trip with three college students Thilothama: This is a comedy-suspense thriller, which features Rachana Narayanankutty in the role of a club dancer. Amoeba: In the movie helmed by Manoj Kana, Anumol plays the character of an Endosulfan victim.