Bougainvillea star Jyothirmayi on her comeback: Malayalam cinema doesn’t just cater to Malayali audience anymore

Malayalam actress Jyothirmayi made a brilliant comeback after an 11-year hiatus with Amal Neerad’s Bougainvillea, which is set to begin streaming on Sony LIV from December 13.

Jyothirmayi in a still from Bougainvillea

Few Malayalam actresses have made a comeback as grand as Jyothirmayi did with director Amal Neerad’s latest film Bougainvillea. The Kerala State Award-winner returned to the big screen after a hiatus of over a decade with the mystery thriller, which also has Kunchacko Boban and Fahadh Faasil, and immediately won praise for her performance – which almost made it seem like she hadn’t missed a beat.

In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Jyothirmayi talks about her apprehensions before and after agreeing to do the role, the support filmmaker and husband Amal Neerad provided as well as her experience shooting for Bougainvillea, which is set to begin streaming on Sony LIV from December 13.

Bougainvillea marked your comeback after a decade. Why did it take so long to sign a film?

This was the best of the best scripts that came my way in the past 10 years. In the past decade, I didn’t seriously think about doing another film because no one approached me, and the ones that were narrated to me weren’t exciting enough for me. When Amal had decided to make Bougainvillea and asked me if I would be ready to play Reethu, I felt happy because he has that much faith in me. At the same time, I was tense because it’s character that demanded performance and I wasn’t sure how much I could live up to that, especially because I haven’t done anything for so many years. I had my apprehensions.

Also read: Mohanlal, Mammootty to team up again in Amal Neerad’s next after Bougainvillea?

I also believe that everything has its own time. No matter how much you try to stay away from it or accomplish it, it will only happen at the right time. So, maybe it was just destiny that I had to return to cinema with Bougainvillea, and I am grateful for that.

Did the factor of working with Amal Neerad play a huge role in you picking the film?

Yes, he was a huge factor – as a director and as a husband. I couldn’t have asked for a better comfort zone while returning to films. His persuasion is the reason I am part of this film. The other factors are its cast and crew. That too has played a big role in me agreeing to be part of Bougainvillea. Also, every actor would want to work where they are most comfortable in, especially when it’s a challenging role like this. It just makes the performance better when you are collaborating with a team that you are comfortable with.

Could you take us through your thoughts during the first few days of the shoot.

I was scared, mostly about how much I could do justice to this character. Also, because I had been away for so long, there were inhibitions about facing the camera again. The movie also had sync sound, and so I worried if I could account for all of this.

Also read: Bougainvillea box office collection: Kunchacko Boban, Jyothirmayi’s film registers a great first weekend

On the first day, I had to perform a scene that had dialogues as well as action, and so there was this constant thought that if I messed it up, it would be so embarrassing. If I was able to perform my role well in this film well, I owe it to Amal Neerad’s conviction in me. I am going to give him full credit for that. I had even asked him if it was a good idea to cast me, especially when there are so many contemporary actresses. But he had complete faith in me.

Back when you were active in films, you had said that only a few roles that were being offered to actresses had any sort of depth. In the last 10 years, could you tell us your observation of how things are changing - for actresses as well as from the point of view of writers and directors creating these characters?

During that interview, I was talking about the characters that came to me for ‘female-oriented films’ that I didn’t find exciting. In the past decade, a lot of things have changed in our society, and it’s reflected in cinema as well. People’s perception, mine included, has changed. Even Malayalam cinema, for that matter, doesn’t just cater to the Malayali audience anymore. It now entertains non-Malayali viewers too. I am proud that I am part of such an industry, especially that I could do a movie like Bougainvillea after such a long gap, when people have forgotten me as an actress.

The film also has Kunchacko Boban and Fahadh Faasil, who have managed to evolve and stay relevant. How much did working with them in your comeback film help you know about how much the craft has changed?

Working with them was a great prestige for me. I am thankful to Amal that I could share screen space with these prominent actors. When you are on the sets with them, you could observe them at close quarters in terms of how they break down their characters and present them in front of the camera. As far as I am concerned, it was a huge experience, especially because we were shooting in sync sound. You have to have restraint as an actor because the mic picks up the unwanted grunts and sighs. So, you had to be conscious of that when you are performing - to not disturb your co-actor.

Being your comeback film, and that too as a lead in Amal Neerad's next movie after Bheeshma Parvam, it also came with its set of expectations. What was the work that you had put in to ensure that you would be on top of the game?

To be part of an Amal Neerad movie was an honour for me, and I also understood that it came with its set of expectations. I put in the best of my efforts, as much as I was capable of, for Bougainvillea. As a director, Amal ensures that he helps every actor get into the skin of the character, without stressing them out. He gives you the confidence to face whatever challenges come with playing a particular role. So, for me, that was a huge blessing.

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