Sometimes, a celebrity interview starts light and suddenly hits you in the gut. That’s exactly what happened when actor Parvathy Thiruvothu sat down for a conversation on ‘The Male Feminist’. What began as a chat quickly turned into a haunting reminder of how unsafe childhood can be for many girls, even before they fully understand what is happening to them.
Parvathy didn’t sugarcoat anything. She spoke with calm. But her words had weight, pain, truth.
Also Read: ‘Justice what?’: Parvathy Thiruvothu reacts as actor Dileep acquitted in 2017 assault case
A childhood moment that still hurts
Recalling her early years, Parvathy shared an incident that happened in a public place. She said she was just a child when a male stranger suddenly hit her on the chest and walked away as if nothing had happened.
“It was not even touching,” she explained. “It was like ‘thap!’ I remember being in pain.”
The actor spoke about how such moments didn’t happen once or twice. They were part of daily life. From being pinched while getting into an auto to being harassed at crowded railway stations, these experiences came far too early.
The scariest part? She was too young to even understand what was being done to her.
Lessons no child should have to learn
Parvathy also spoke about how her mother had to prepare her for the outside world, not with dreams, but with survival tips.
“My mom used to teach me how to walk on the streets,” she said. “Don’t window shop. Look at men’s hands.”
Think about that for a moment. A mother teaching her child to stay alert instead of carefree. To watch hands instead of enjoying the road. Parvathy pointed out how heartbreaking it is that these lessons are considered normal.
She also spoke about repeated incidents of public flashing. At the time, she didn’t even know what she was seeing. Only later, as an adult, did she realise how deeply those moments had affected her.
‘Our bodies remember everything’
One line from the interview stayed long after it ended. Parvathy said that even if the mind forgets, the body remembers.
“Our bodies have been impacted by these experiences,” she said, explaining how childhood trauma quietly shapes fear, anxiety and behaviour later in life.
Parvathy Thiruvothu: A powerful voice in cinema
Parvathy Thiruvothu is no stranger to strong roles or strong opinions. A National Award-winning actor, she has delivered powerful performances in films like ‘Take Off’, ‘Charlie’, ‘Maryan’, ‘Bangalore Days’, ‘Uyire’ and ‘Qarib Qarib Single’.
Over the years, she has also become known for speaking openly about gender issues, consent and women’s safety both on and off screen.
On the work front, Parvathy is gearing up for a major new project. She will soon appear in ‘The Storm’, a thriller drama produced by Hrithik Roshan under HRX Films for Prime Video.
The series is created and directed by Ajitpal Singh and is set against the intense backdrop of Mumbai. The cast includes Alaya F, Srishti Shrivastava, Rrama Sharma and Saba Azad.