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Photo C. Ratheesh Kumar

Reaching for the stars: Parvati.

“It was fun and helped me get used to the camera. That was how I got my break in films too,” she says. Viswanadhan, director of ‘Out of Syllabus’ contacted the youngster and before she knew it, she had become a film actor.

But the rooted teenager saw to it that the bright arc lights did not blind her to her drawbacks. “I was completely new to films and I had no idea how to internalise a character. So my research on Gayatri, my debut character, was quite sketchy. Now, when I look back, I realise what I could have done to make Gayatri more three-dimensional.”

She had to wait for Rosshan Andrews’ ‘Notebook’ to introduce her to the art of internalising characters. It also gave her glimpses of world cinema and the art of filmmaking.

‘“Notebook’ was an eye-opener. A workshop conducted for us instilled a love for cinema. Classics were screened for us and that really whetted my appetite for more such films,” she gushes.

And the result was there to see on the screen. Parvati lived as Pooja, her role in ‘Notebook.’ The actor feels that Rosshan’s in-depth explanation of the character helped her breathe life into her role.

“Initially, I was quite taken aback when I heard the storyline. It was so unlike what Parvati would have done. But the director sketched out Pooja’s background and the reason why she chooses to ditch her friend in need. That made it easy for me to portray her convincingly. It convinced me that what Pooja did was with the best of intentions. She was a confused teenager who was caught between black and white,” explains Parvati with the élan of a seasoned actor.

If Pooja gave her the opportunity to portray a complex character, Reshmi in ‘Vinodayatra’ saw the comedienne in her as she effortlessly sketched the star struck Reshmi.

“It is not an easy task to make people laugh and I benefited a great deal from interactions with senior actors such as Dileep and Mukesh, my co-stars in Sathyan Anthikad’s ‘Vinodayatra,’ who have this innate talent for punch lines and timing.” However it was Parvati’s Pooja that was noticed by film director Siby Malayail who was on the lookout for a heroine for his ‘Flash,’ a film he was making after a hiatus.

“Pooja was a complex role that Parvati essayed magnificently. Dhwani, the heroine in my film, too is a role that involves a great deal of complexities. As I expected she did an excellent job,” adds Sibi.

And how was it for this under graduate student of Literature to act with superstar Mohanlal?

“A learning experience. Even working with Sibi Sir is an honour. I have seen many of his films such as ‘Kireedam,’ ‘His Highness Abdulla’ and so on and so when he cast me in his film, I was on a high.”

To play the manic depressive Dhwani, Parvati says she even spoke to a psychiatrist. “Dhwani has severe mood swings. It was a challenge to portray her. Outwardly she is this normal girl but her inner turmoil manifests suddenly in strange delusions,” she narrates.

Like other Malayali heroines, Parvati is also Kollywood-bound. “I have already acted in a Kannada film, ‘Milana’ with Puneet Raj Kumar, which is doing well. My next venture is a Tamil film ‘Poo’ with Srikant.”

And is Bollywood her next destination. “Why not? Maybe even Hollywood. The sky is the limit,” she says laughing.

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