I didn't know what my character was in Avalude Ravukal but I had complete trust in Sasiyettan'

At a time when coy girls ruled Malayalam cinema, Seema stepped into the industry as one of the first bold actresses, in the mid-70s.

She gave life to numerous unconventional roles right from her first film Avalude Ravukal, shared screen with the biggies of South Indian cinema, got married to director I V Sasi, and even now continues to act. A no-holds barred personality in real life too, Seema reminisces her hey days in a conversation with us.

Ask her how many films she has been part of in the industry and Seema says, 'I don't know, I don't keep count. I just did justice to the work that came my way and surprisingly all of it shaped my life.'

However, she clearly remembers how a teenaged girl Shanti, who loved to dance but dreamt of becoming a nurse, become Seema, the actress. 'I used to watch nurses taking care of my mom while at hospital and used to think, 'I too want to be one.' I also wished to marry someone who rides a scooter. Just that God decided my destiny was different and I would marry someone with a car,' she says with a laugh.

'I started off as a choreographer with A K Chopra. Even then, people used to call me to act in films while I worked as a dancer. But I used to say 'I don't like acting.' When I was offered my first movie, I myself don't know why I agreed to do it. Director Lisa Baby, who offered me my first project, used to always tell me 'Shanti, you should act' and I would say 'I don't want to.' But when my mom said maybe I should try it out, I thought, 'Why not.'
Did she like the name that later shaped her destiny? 'Actually, I wasn't even aware what I am supposed to feel about that name change, though I remember how it all happened. I was an 18-year-old girl who had just entered cinema with Nizhale Nee Sakshi, which wasn't released. I was in Hyderabad for the shoot, travelling by car with actresses Mallika, Philomina, Sreelatha, and veteran actor Vijayan. It was a Friday. Vijayettan kept chanting 'Seema' 'Seema' throughout the ride and then Mallika chechi asked him 'What do you mean and why are you chanting this?' Then he said 'Seema means the limit, and that's what we will call her, now on,' pointing at me. Once at the location, he told the director Lisa Baby about the name change, and then he checked its numerology. The director told me 'Seems like the name will bring you laurels. Go to a Durga temple nearby, and do an archana (offering) in this name' and I did it. That's how it all happened.'

Her first film Avalude Ravukal, directed by husband I V Sasi and released in 1978, was quite a 'bold' film for the time. I V Sasi himself has said that many heroines had rejected the role, which Seema later took up, making it an iconic one. Why did she say yes to Avalude Ravukal? Seema says, 'Honestly,

I didn't know exactly what the character was and I was quite young. I trusted Sasiyettan, he told me I was the heroine and asked me to act out scenes, which I did. He used to say while filming 'None of it would come out as vulgar, you can be confident about that.' And even at that age, I just considered Raji as a character and didn't have any qualms about whatever she did.' The best thing is that the movie is watched even now by the current generation who compliment her on it, Seema says. 'I owe it to Sasiyettan for making me what I am today, and offering me such great films,' she adds.

While it was her bewitching beauty and dance moves that caught the industry's attention at first she soon became the reigning queen of Mollywood essaying many powerful characters. Innalenkil Naale, Anubandham, Angadi, Aalkoottathil Thaniye, Aksharangal, Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu' these were just a few among the films in which she immortalised her characters.

'I'm lucky to have essayed many strong roles authored by greats like M T Vasudevan Nair, T Damodaran Master and the like,' she says.
Seema's chemistry with actor Jayan is still talked about but for her, he was a beloved brother. 'Yes, he was a wonderful co-actor and a human being but for Sasiyettan and me, he was a lot more than that. He was like a sibling, who would barge into my kitchen and ask me to make tea for him. He considered me a little girl, who just plays around and gets her way always. At the same time, he respected me as I V Sasi's wife too,' she remembers.
Her latest movie in Malayalam was Sir C P. How does she select her films now? 'I don't have any such criteria. If they call me, I will act, and directors know me well by now to know what will suit me, even better than myself.'
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